When His Seer Sees His Smile
by Gemjj
Summary: Cordy centered fic. A/C eventually *new chapter 05/21/02*
1. Chapter 1

1 Part 1 – Best Friends  
  
Angel was slouched in his desk chair at his desk, his feat casually lifted up onto his desk, he was perfectly happily reading a book, but he couldn't help feeling odd.  
  
When he looked up, he found the reason.  
  
Cordelia, who was sitting on the couch they had brought the day before (because of a persuasive Cordelia) to make Angel's personal office more comfortable was holding a un-read magazine in her hands, and she was watching Angel inquisitively.  
  
He raised his eyebrow at her. "What?" He asked suspiciously.  
  
Cordelia shook her head slightly. "Nothing."  
  
Angel went back to his book and read a few more lines before looking back at her because the feeling of being watched hadn't been shaken.  
  
Sure enough, she was still staring.  
  
"Cordelia, *why* have I suddenly become so interesting to you?"  
  
She shrugged. "I'm waiting to see when that book gets exciting, you've been reading half-an-hour now and haven't cracked a smile or shed a tear or anything! - If it's boring, Angel, why are you reading it? There is a *zillion* more interesting things we could do!"  
  
Angel tried not to smile. 'Typical of Cordy,' he thought, 'always homes in on the weirdest things possible,' he put his feet on the floor and moved forward to lean on the desk. "Lettme guess. Your next line will be something like 'why don't we go out?' - am I right?"  
  
She went a little pink, silently letting him know he was right, but, she didn't realize he knew her so well, and tried to cover it up. "*No*. Jeez, Angel, I don't always want to go out y'know!"  
  
"You don't?" He lifted his eyebrow again, and pretended to look shocked.  
  
Cordy rolled her eyes. "No, I just like to do stuff that doesn't put me to sleep - it just happens that going out on the town is one of them!"  
  
Angel smirked.  
  
"What's that *look* for?" She asked him irritably, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
  
Angel tried to look all innocent. "What look are you talking about, Cora?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "Vampires are *so* annoying, - good and bad!"  
  
He laughed and walked around his desk and flopped on the new-couch next to her. "You are so wonderful, Cordelia." He told her, he knew that if she wasn't around he really would be in a permanent funk, as she would put it.  
  
Her eyebrows were the ones that raised this time. "Who hit you with a hippie stick?"  
  
Angel smiled. "Cordy, you can leave if you wanna. Go someplace and have fun."  
  
She smiled and closed her magazine and jumped up, she walked to the door and then turned around. "So, you're gonna stay here?"  
  
He nodded. "Got to. In case someone calls who needs help."  
  
She shrugged. "Well, if you wanna be dull and boring, it's your call, vamp- man."  
  
She had quite a few names for him now, quite a few were references to superman and other comic-book heroes - she figured he fitted totally into the hero category considering how many lives he had saved. (Super-vamp, Vamp-man, and there was the Dark Avenger) and he had even more than quite a few names for her, but they were all to do with her name. (Cordy, Cord, Cora, Cor, Delia, etc.).  
  
~*~  
  
After Cordelia had left, Angel had continued reading for a few hours down in his apartment/basement, but sprang into action when Kate called him to the precinct to have a talk about some mysterious disappearances.  
  
He had been in such a hurry he had not closed the back door to his place properly, which turned out to be lucky as when a muddy, bleeding and half sobbing Cordelia Chase arrived, running as fast as she could away from some vicious looking creatures, she was able to get in and lock the door behind her keeping them out.  
  
She screamed Angel's name over and over, weeping and holding her aching stomach, but he never came to her aid, she became worried and forced herself up from her slouched position at the foot of the door to look for him.  
  
He wasn't in his apartment, and when Cordelia staggered into his bedroom, (which he obviously didn't clean much) and saw dust on the floor, she fell down and began to sob hysterically thinking the worst as she remembered his door had been wide open.  
  
The cries and scratching of the wild beasts outside weren't heard by her anymore, she didn't fear them anymore, she feared the loneliness that creeped upon her as she ran her fingers in the dust and crying out for her best friend.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part TWO 


	2. Chapter 2

1 Part 2  
  
When Angel left Kate and headed home, he sprang into action and killed three monstrous beasts that, for some reason, were lurking about at the back door to his apartment.  
  
They had been trying to get in, from what he could see of the badly scratched door.  
  
His heart would've stopped if he had one that beat, as he picked up a shoe he recognized as Cordelia's from the floor where he had just killed the last creature.  
  
He quickly opened his apartment and closed the door behind him.  
  
He had never been so relieved to hear someone crying, sure she might be hurt, but at least she was alive.  
  
He dashed to where the sound came from, his bedroom.  
  
He paused at the door for a second in relief as he watched the bleeding, sobbing Cordelia run house-dust through her hands and call out his name desperately.  
  
When it registered a second later that she thought the dust was him, he instantly said her name soothingly, and bent down beside her.  
  
As she saw him appear next to her, she let herself fall into his arms crying out his name over and over.  
  
He sat there with her stroking her hair and rubbing her back until the tears dried up and she had calmed down.  
  
When, after what seemed like years, she pulled back from him, without a word passing between them, he picked her up effortlessly and lifted her onto the bed.  
  
Then he pulled off his leather coat and sat next to her, pulling her again into his arms.  
  
He could feel her body shaking and he didn't know whether it was with fear from the beasts she had been beaten by, or with relief that the dust hadn't been him.  
  
He decided on relief when she turned up to face him. "I thought you were dead." She choked out sadly.  
  
He tucked lose strands of her hair behind her ear. "I thought you were." He whispered, trying not to recall the emotions he had felt when he had picked up her shoe next to the dead demon.  
  
"Oh, Cordy." He choked out a minute later. "I shouldn't have let you go out on your own, I should've -"  
  
She jerked away from him, wincing at her aching wounds and hastily wiping away her tears. "- Should've what, Angel? - Come with me? I don't need a *babysitter*, I'm nineteen - twenty *very* soon, that's not baby-age, but, I guess to you it would seem like that since your old enough to be my great granddads, great granddads, granddads, great granddad! Besides I killed *two* of the five icky beasts that attacked!" She took a deep breath at the end, since not taking one all the way through.  
  
He sat up and touched her bruised face gently. "I just worry about you, Cora. And I would whether I was two-hundred and forty eight, or nineteen myself."  
  
"Maybe you should realize that there are a *lot* more women out there to worry about, at least I know the hidden dangers... I might not always be prepared for them, but at least I know evil-beings exist!"  
  
"Cordy, I do worry about all people, men, women, kids - everyone. But *you're* my best friend and you come into my worrying countdown before I even consider all the rest."  
  
"Buffy's higher than me in that countdown, right? - Since she's your one true love and all that?"  
  
Her words caught him by surprise, he shrugged. "Buffy can take care of herself -" The moment he said it he wanted to take it back.  
  
"- And *I* can't?!" She bit back.  
  
"Cordy, she's the *slayer*, so -"  
  
"Yeah, so evil things seem to always want to wipe her out more than they do just random women, Angel? - Why don't you go protect *her*, huh? - Worry about *her* a little more?!"  
  
"Cordelia.."  
  
"You never answered me, Angel. Do you think I can't take care of myself?" He didn't hear the hurt in her voice.  
  
"Look at yourself. Do *you* think you -?"  
  
"- Don't reverse it back onto me. Do you think that you need me to always have you there, and without you would I be killed easily?"  
  
Angel's eyes flickered down her body, his hard eyes softened as he caught the many places bleeding. "From the state you are in, yes."  
  
Her eyes flashed with anger. She climbed clumsily off the bed. "I'm going home."  
  
"Are you trying to prove my point?"  
  
Cordelia turned, waiting to see what Mr. Cocky-vamp had to say for himself now.  
  
"Cordelia, if you go home now, like you are, you'll attract all the vampires within three blocks with the smell of your blood - and walking into the streets to get drained isn't exactly what you need while trying to prove you can look after yourself. 'Cause if you could look after yourself properly, you'd see how *dangerous* going out there like that would be."  
  
Cordelia just stared. "Fine. I guess I'm staying here tonight. But if you are thinking of trying to get some sleep tonight, Angel, you'd better do it with one eye open, 'cause I'm not in a very vampire-friendly mood, and you just might wake up to find a stake in your heart."  
  
She headed for the bathroom to clean herself up, but stopped, turned and added; "Actually, I'm never in a vampire-friendly mood, better make it I'm not in a *Angel-friendly* mood, eh?!" And she stormed off once more.  
  
Angel shook his head sadly as he watched her disappear from view.  
  
He looked down at his bed, and the spark of anger she had made him feel vanished as he looked at his blood covered sheets. He hadn't realized she'd been hurt so bad, he'd tried to not look at her wounds and not smell the blood, he didn't want to be tempted. That didn't matter now, his seer was hurt.  
  
He instinctively followed her into the bathroom, it had been closed when he got there, and he just pushed it open, thankful he hadn't installed a lock.  
  
Cordelia didn't think the same. "Angel!" She squealed as his presence made her jump.  
  
She had taken off her ripped top, that there wasn't much left of, and was pulling down her mini-skirt, she let it fall to the floor around her ankles as she reached for a towel.  
  
Angel looked down briefly at his best-friends underwear clad body, and instantly felt a pang of guilt as he wished she hadn't been wearing a bra and panties still.  
  
Cordelia grabbed a white towel of his and held it in front of her.  
  
"Cor, you're bleeding pretty bad, I wanted to -" He began as his eyes rested on one of the scratches on her arm, and tried to get another look at the gash on her stomach.  
  
"*No*, Angel. I don't need to be taken care of, OK? - I can handle this!" As the words came out, she swayed with dizziness, and Angel reached an arm out to steady her.  
  
She sighed and looked up at him.  
  
He reached out with his other hand and pushed her long wavy dark brown hair away from her face, giving him a clearer view of the scratches and bruises there.  
  
"No, you can't. Admit it Cordy, and let me take care of you. I don't like seeing you like this."  
  
She went to push him away, and as she did so, the towel fell. She looked down at herself briefly, before returning her gaze to him. She found his eyes examining her body. "I don't like you seeing me like this either, Angel."  
  
His eyes met hers. "Cordy, *please* let me -"  
  
"Get *out*, Angel." She said firmly.  
  
"Look at yourself, Cora. You're in no state to -"  
  
"Can I ask you something, Angel? - Why the hell do *you* care about *me*, huh? You never used to, you just saw me as spoilt little rich cheerleader gal who happened to know Buffy's little secret and all about the hellmouth, but behind that dumbness I portrayed during our little research sessions, you have *no idea* of what I had to deal with at home. And I delt with it cuz I thought Buffy had bigger problems with saving the world and everything and my problems didn't compare to hers! ... But my problems were just as big as hers and as frightening as all the scary demons she ever met! ... - Why do you suddenly notice how scared I am inside *now*? - It's because Buffy's not around to occupy your mind, isn't it? Well, I'm *not* gonna be the thing that takes you mind of our little slayer. Go find another reject to mollycoddle! I hear Xander's free!"  
  
Angel stored her words in his mind, it was too much for him to take in fully right now while being so concerned for her health. "Cora, I -"  
  
"GET OUT!" She screamed at him with such anger which came as such a surprise the tough-vampire stepped backwards.  
  
She gave him a shove and he fell over his own feet and landed on the floor, somewhat ungracefully considering he was supposed to have quick reactions.  
  
Cordelia slammed the door shut and rested against it so he wouldn't push his way in which she figured he could do easily unless he was worried about hurting her in the process. She was too busy trying to keep her temper down to notice tears fell down her cheeks, just as the blood trickled out of a cut on her stomach.  
  
Angel pulled himself to his feet and stood outside the door. "Cordelia, please let me in. You're probably in shock and have no idea what's going on. Please, Cora, you mean too much to me to make yourself suffer like this - I can't stand it!"  
  
He heard a scraping sound as she slid down the door and sat curled up on the floor.  
  
Then he closed his eyes in pain for his best-friend as the sobs drifted through.  
  
He realized that the time he was going to be able to get to her was now, when she was too upset to realize what has happening. But, he couldn't get to her since she was leaning on the door and would get hurt if he tried to kick it down, or even just open it normally (no lock deal!).  
  
But, he knew of one other option, and reached for the phone, dialling in Wesley's number, hoping that the other part of his family was in.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part THREE 


	3. Chapter 3

1 Part 3 –  
  
Angel sat and watched Wesley work at getting into Cordy, or rather, he watched Wesley attempt at how to work the tools to un-hinge a door.  
  
Finally, Angel's patience gave in, and he took the tool from Wesley. "How *hard* can it be, Wes? - I don't see what's taking you so *long*!"  
  
"Hey, don't have a go at me - I haven't had to un-hinge a door before and that's not my fault!"  
  
Angel rolled his eyes. "Well, neither have I so lets learn, OK? - For Cordelia's sake."  
  
The two became so preoccupied by the tool neither noticed the bathroom door open slightly and Cordelia step out, in a much worse state than she had been before.  
  
Her eyes were red and puffy, all her wounds still un-attended to, and the one on her stomach still dripping un-noticed blood. "Angel.." She whispered.  
  
Both the men's heads shot up to look at her.  
  
Angel took a step towards her, his eyes flickered down to her stomach and he grimaced. "Cora?"  
  
"Angel, I don't feel so good..." As she spoke she swayed again like she had done in the bathroom before, and once again, Angel reached out and managed to steady her.  
  
Having lost all sense of what was around her, Angel managed to scoop her half-naked body into his arms without any complaints.  
  
He carried her to his bed and set her down gently. He looked over at Wesley who was hovering by the door, looking anxiously in to see if she was all right.  
  
"Wesley. Thanks for coming over. Now I have her outta there I can take care of her. She'll be all right now."  
  
Wesley still looked worried. "You *want* me to leave?"  
  
"I think it's best, the more people here the more confused she's gonna get."  
  
Wesley shook his head. "I'm sorry, Angel. I can't leave. I do trust you with her normally, but in that vulnerable state, with blood dripping, you might feel you have to -"  
  
"I'm Angel, Wesley, *not* Angelus. And I swear I'd rather kill myself than turn on her - or anyone for that matter."  
  
Wesley nodded, and was reassured by the glint in Angel's eyes that showed he wasn't soulless, and was trustworthy like a loyal puppy was to a little girl.  
  
"Call me in a few hours to let me know how she is? After all we're family." He requested, Angel nodded, and Wesley turned on his heal and headed for the door.  
  
But when he reached it, he stopped, and turned back, only just visible through the crack left in the door, was Angel's figure gently stroking Cordelia's cheek with a adoring look. Wesley was reassured even more of Cordelia's safety as he turned and made his departure.  
  
~*~  
  
After cleaning Cordelia up, he had managed to undress her completely with no complaints from her as she was very drowsy.  
  
Of course, Angel had tried to be a gentleman, but he couldn't help but look warmly at her as he had taken the bloody clothes (well, underwear) off.  
  
She was now asleep on her front, and just wrapped in sheets, with zilch underneath.  
  
He sat on a chair next to the bed, just watching her. He felt calm inside, just seeing her so peaceful after the nights events warmed his cold heart.  
  
As she slept, Angel's mind wondered back to what she had said to him before in a fit of rage. Was he too over-protective of her? - He couldn't see how he was, if he had been, tonight wouldn't have happened.  
  
What he didn't understand as he remembered what she'd said, was the part about her problems... 'But my problems were just as big as hers (-referring to Buffy) and as frightening as all the scary demons she ever met!'. He frowned, and made a mental note to ask her about it when she was in a better state of mind.  
  
He watched her sleep all night, and most of the morning, not that he knew because he didn't realize the sun had rose, he only noticed what time it was when Cordelia began to stir.  
  
She lifted her head up off the pillow and looked over at him dazedly.  
  
She went to shift herself up more, and as she did so a frown flickered onto her face, and she tilted her head to the side and shot him a curious look.  
  
Angel returned the look with his own worried one. "Cora, you OK?"  
  
An eyebrow rose. "I'm naked." She stated.  
  
Angel sighed in relief, he had thought it had been something more serious. He tried not to grin. "I know."  
  
She held the sheets to her as she moved into a sitting position, she winced once as she felt her stomach ache. "You wanna explain to me how *that* happened?"  
  
Angel, filled with relief that she seemed to be back to normal, stroked his chin and pretended to mull it over. "I think it happened sometime between when you were dressed, and when I was undressing you. Not exactly sure when."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd appreciate some clothes now." She hinted.  
  
Angel shrugged. "I don't think I have anything in your size."  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "Then your size will have to do."  
  
Angel turned to his closet and then grinned, so she couldn't see how happy he was she was OK.  
  
Cordelia scrunched her face up as he turned around with a grey shirt.  
  
Before she could say anything, he turned back to the closet and grabbed another one, this one was light blue.  
  
This time, she approved, so he tossed it over to her. He grabbed a pair of his boxers from a draw and they also hurtled towards her.  
  
When he turned back to face her, he saw she held the boxers up and was giving them a mystified look.  
  
He laughed. "Don't worry, Cordy, they're clean."  
  
"Angel, I *can't* wear -"  
  
"They're *clean*, Cora." He told her again, fixing her with a look.  
  
She sighed. "Fine, whatever. But, I'm not moving an inch until you do; out the door that is."  
  
He rolled his eyes as he headed out. "I saw it *all* last night, Cora!" He teased, actually meaning it the way it sounded.  
  
A pillow hit him on the back of his head, and he turned back towards her.  
  
She looked at him smugly. "Pul - lease! You're too much of a gentleman!"  
  
'What she'll never know won't hurt her.' He found himself thinking as he grinned back at her, and left closing the door behind him.  
  
In the bedroom, Cordelia changed into Angel's clothes after inspecting her gashes.  
  
As she stood up, her legs shaked and she almost wobbled over, but, she made it to the door and then stayed close to the wall as she followed the humming of Angel. She found him making breakfast in the kitchen.  
  
He didn't notice her take a seat at the table, and she watched him as he hummed and did a little dance about as he began to cook.  
  
As he took a 'spin' in his dance, he finally noticed her and dropped the frying pan he was holding in shock, it clattered to the floor, just missing his feet.  
  
"Cordelia! - You scared the life outta me!"  
  
"Really?! How'd that happen? - I didn't think you had a 'life' in you?!" She said sarcastically, referring to the fact he was the walking dead. Then she grinned. "What were you humming?"  
  
"I *wasn't* humming." He defended as he picked up the pan and straightened himself out.  
  
"Oh, course not!" She rolled her eyes for what seemed like the zillionth time that morning.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part FOUR 


	4. Chapter 4

1 Part 4 –  
  
"WHAT?! - No way, Angel. I -" Cordelia told her friend the moment he suggested that she move in with him later after a relaxing day lounging about Angel's apartment. In fact, it had been VERY relaxing for Cordelia, anything she had wanted, Angel got.  
  
"Look, I'd feel better and know that you were safe if -"  
  
"- I'm safe at mine. - With Dennis!"  
  
"Dennis is a mischievous spirit, -"  
  
" - You're a vampire!"  
  
"Cordy, I *know* I'm a vampire - which makes me better protection than an invisible roommate!"  
  
"And what happens if you turn all 'grr' on me!"  
  
"I'd never hurt you, you know that!"  
  
"Angelus might!"  
  
"Angelus isn't ever coming back. My souls mine, for good."  
  
Cordelia was shocked, but the words didn't register at first. "Well it was taken from you before, and why couldn't someone put a uncurse on you and - WAIT. You have your soul back? When? ... How?"  
  
"Oracles gave it to me after Doyle died, they said they couldn't give him back, but I could have my soul as they had been foretold that I would continue to work for good until I die."  
  
"And you never thought to let me know about this!?"  
  
"I didn't think it'd interest you, so -" Angel was slightly relieved he'd got her away from what she had been about to say before - that he could be uncursed and be Angelus again, as it could happen. He didn't see how or rather who would uncurse him, but there was always a possibility.  
  
"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! - You thought that *I* - your best friend - wouldn't be interested in - or *care* - that you got your soul for good! Angel! - I'm *ecstatic*! - This is *so* cool, we have to go party -"  
  
She noticed Angel giving her a look. " - What?"  
  
"You're in no state to -"  
  
"- Party? - Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, *dad*!" She caught her breath on the last word, and Angel frowned, but before he could ask she jumped in and started to babble. "Hey, y'know what! Instead of going out to celebrate your soul being yours because I'm 'in no state to party', we can have fun here!"  
  
Angel looked about his apartment. He was happy reading, which was the only thing you could really do there, and he didn't think Cordy would be into that. "Doing what, exactly?"  
  
Cordelia thought and gave the room a once over. "Point taken."  
  
Angel rolled his eyes. Then remembered what he was supposed to be doing, persuading her to move in. "Now, you think we can get back to the subject at hand? - I want you to move in, as soon as possible." He demanded.  
  
Cordy shook her head. "You can't command me to move, Angel!"  
  
"I'm vamp-man, I can do anything." He told her, mimicking the phrase she often used after watching him defeat a number of demons.  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "For God's sake, - I'M NOT MOVING!"  
  
Raising her voice didn't affect Angel. "You're moving in here, Cora. You have no say in the matter."  
  
She stood up. "I have a every say in the matter, Angel! I'm not your sister or daughter or anything - I'm your best friend, you CAN'T order me around because I WON'T take it! - Not from you or anyone!"  
  
"I worry about you, Cor. I can't help it. Please will you move in, I don't think I can sleep another night with you that far away and in possible danger without me being able to prevent it." He asked her gently this time, hoping a new approach would work.  
  
"I worry about you too, Angel. But not whether you're in danger or whatever,... I worry about your frame of mind. - Like, only now do you tell me how much you worry about me! *And* you only *just* told me your soul's permanent. - Does Buffy even *know* about that?"  
  
"No. Buffy doesn't know."  
  
"Ah ha!" Her sudden change of tone made him jump and look at her worriedly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You've been Mr. Grumpy lately, and it's 'cause you can do *IT* again, but.." She frowned, ".. you're not. Why is that? - If Buffster knew, she'd jump you in a second!"  
  
"Buffy and I agreed to spend time apart, and that's how it is - whether I'm forever soul-guy or otherwise. Sex doesn't enter that decision. NOW, would you quit changing the subject, Cora, I REALLY think it's best you move in."  
  
She sighed. "Look around." He did. "Now, close your eyes and picture my apartment.... Which would you rather live in, huh?!"  
  
He opened his eyes. "Easy. Here."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "OK, imagine you're a young girl trying to peruse an acting career, and do it again."  
  
He did as she asked and when she wanted to know his choice again, he still said his apartment.  
  
"Oh, I'm gonna *love* the explanation for that!" She laughed and then fixed him with a look, waiting.  
  
"Well, I admit, your place *is* more modern, and so more your taste, but, if I was you, I'd move in here - safer."  
  
"And that's 'cause of the YOU factor." He nodded. "Well, it's a good job you're not me isn't it!"  
  
"Cora, please -" Then he seemed to think of something to persuade her. "Look at it like this, if you moved in with me, I wouldn't expect you to put anything towards the rent, so with whatever you save from what you normally pay where you are now, you can get clothes or shoes or whatever."  
  
Cordelia seemed to consider this as she bit at her bottom lip. "OK, your place gets a point for that, - but, mine gets one for being tasteful, AND one for having Dennis, 'cause he takes care of cleaning and stuff."  
  
"My place gets another two points - one for me taking care of the cleaning and stuff, and another because it's safer!"  
  
"Well, my place gets another point because I'm already settled in there!"  
  
Angel frowned. "How many is that each now?"  
  
"Three to both. You're gonna have to do better than that, Angel if you want me to move!"  
  
"OK, um... my place gets a point because where you work is only upstairs - not exactly far to get out of bed in the morning!"  
  
"Well, a point is taken off your place because I'd have to leave Dennis and it would take *forever* to find him another roomie that he liked *and* that wasn't scared of him!"  
  
"Well, my place gets a point, for .. um... -"  
  
"Your place gets another point taken away 'cause there's only one bedroom *and* because there's no lock on the bathroom door!" Cordelia was getting excited because she was on a roll.  
  
"My place gets that point back because I can really cook - and I know you hate to and Dennis spills stuff!" Angel bit back.  
  
When she couldn't think of anything to add a point to her place, Cordelia made a face. "OK, so what's the score now?"  
  
Angel thought. "It was three-all, then I got another one, but then you took two away, but I just got one back, so it's still three-all."  
  
Cordelia stamped her foot on the floor. "Damn!" Then her face lit up as she thought of another one. "My place gets a point 'cause it's in a safer neighbourhood!"  
  
"OBJECTION! - I'd be your protection here! - You already gave my place a point for that!"  
  
Her eyes narrowed when she realized he was right.  
  
Angel gave her a smug look. "Looks like you're moving in, Cor."  
  
"Nuh - huh! - It's still even: three-all remember!"  
  
Angel frowned. "Um... my place gets a point 'cause you wouldn't ever get lonely because I'd always be around!"  
  
"Objection. - Two reasons, a) because I'm not lonely at mine 'cause of Dennis, and b) because if your always around, where were you last night, huh?"  
  
Angel looked guiltily to the floor.  
  
Cordelia then shook her head, feeling guilty for making him feel bad. "I take that back, I guess you can have that point cuz you are better company than a poltergeist, even if you're dead as well. - Just don't tell Dennis."  
  
Angel looked up at her, his guilt still shinning in his beautiful eyes Cordy wished she could spend forever drowning in. "Are you sure you wanna do that, Cordy? - My place is leading now."  
  
She shrugged, tearing herself away from his intense gaze - although she didn't want to. "Then I guess I'm moving in - *IF* I can't think of anymore pros for my place or cons for your place that can higher my score and lower yours!"  
  
Secretly, Cordy added a point to Angel's place, he didn't deserve her taking one of the points away that she had, after all, having no lock on the bathroom door would be more of a pro than a con for what she was thinking of walking in on.  
  
'And only having one bed and bedroom isn't looking so much on the bad side either', she thought with an endearing devious smile.  
  
Angel noticed the smile and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Uh, oh. Thought of a reason to lower my score?"  
  
Cordelia's smile disappeared, and her lips came together in a pout. "Sadly, no. But that might not be an issue anymore."  
  
"What? - You *wanna* move in now?" Angel was surprised by her sudden change of plan.  
  
She got off the sofa and walked into the bedroom, calling to him over her shoulder. "Well, your place does have more good points than mine. Can't argue with that."  
  
Angel frowned as the bedroom door slammed. He knew she wouldn't normally have given up that easily. 'She must have something planned.' He contemplated.  
  
She walked back in a moment later, after doing a quick tour of the kitchen and bathroom.  
  
She slumped back down next to him on the couch. "I took a look around and I'm all for moving in, but you gotta either say bye to that king-size bed of yours and get two singles or sleep on the couch, or let me share it with ya... And then there's the whole issue of decorating, I'm all for you expressing yourself in your place, but it's mine as well now, and I gotta give it a Cordy-feeling... Then we have gotta do something about entertainment - as in, TV and a stereo. - *Oh*, you gotta start learning to stock the fridge up with solids as well as liquids, cuz honey, this gal ain't drinkin' no blood."  
  
Angel raised an eyebrow as she took a moment to let air into her lungs. "Anything else?"  
  
"Yeah, I know that not seeing yourself in a mirror isn't very nice and all, but I don't survive without one, so you could like fix one to the inside of the wardrobe - half of which is mine now so you gotta find another place for those sexy-shirts of yours. Oh, and I think I can deal with the no lock on bathroom door thingy, but as long as we buy one of those things you put on the door that you can flip over to say whether it's vacant or not. Also, the light is so dingy in here - you so gotta do something 'bout that. - Oh, and another thing, I think you should be the one to tell Dennis - that way if he gets real angry and things start to fly, at least you'll heal in, like, a day, while me, I take a few weeks and I'm still recovering from last nights episode of beauty and the beasts."  
  
"I think those demands can be met."  
  
"They're not demands, Angel, they're just the 'musts' if you wanna have me live here with you."  
  
"Oh, right. Well, I think those 'musts' will definitely happen."  
  
She snuggled now futher into the couch. "Well, *duh*, as if I would ever move here if they didn't."  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part FIVE 


	5. Chapter 5

1 Part 5 –  
  
Cordelia looked up at her boss as he marched in the office the next day, she was still wearing one of his shirts and boxers were hidden under the desk. She had spent another night at Angel's, so still didn't have any of her own clothes.  
  
"So how it go? - Get a bump on the head?" She asked, referring to him rubbing his forehead.  
  
"I managed to talk him into it, although, I think you oughta know before you go back there and start to pack - the smashed TV was not my fault." Angel placed a small duffel bag on to her desk that he had put some of Cordy's clothes in - he'd had fun deciding what underwear to bring for her, but he wouldn't *tell* her that, he'd just say he grabbed the first thing.  
  
"He *smashed* the TV?!"  
  
"He was really upset, Cordy, you must be quite some roommate, huh?"  
  
"You'll soon find out... So, what persuaded him?"  
  
"I put forward your idea of Wesley moving in there and you coming to visit *very* regularly."  
  
"Yeah, well, what can I say, Dennis' straight. I mean what straight guy would want to see *Wesley* in the bath when he could see *me*?"  
  
Angel raised an eyebrow. "Dennis has seen you in the bath, *naked*?"  
  
Cordelia shuffled through some papers. "Well, it's not like I wear clothes in the bath, Angel! And he's a helpful ghost, passes me things when I need them, wherever and whenever I needed them - of course I drew the line on him seeing me take a piss - he agreed with me on that though."  
  
"That isn't something I'm gonna have to take up is it?"  
  
She looked up from her papers. "Huh?"  
  
"Passing you things while you're in the bath?"  
  
Cordelia grinned. "Only when I'm having a bubble bath, buckaroo."  
  
Angel laughed. "Just as long as you realize you'd have to return the favour."  
  
"Ya, well, that's only happening with the bubbles too." She gave him one of her most brilliant smiles, and the vampires cold heart warmed a little.  
  
Angel disappeared into his office laughing, leaving Cordelia smiling to herself.  
  
'Was he just *flirting* with me?' She wondered. 'Nah, as if he would be interested in his secretary! And after all he is still dealing with the Buffy saga.... But, it would have been nice... if he were.'  
  
'Man, after my many years, I've never had such a flirting match with - wait a minute, *flirting* match? - Where did that come from?' Angel frowned as he took a seat at his desk. 'That wasn't flirting you stupid fool, Cordelia Chase would *never* flirt with a dead guy... though I wish she had been.'  
  
~*~  
  
"So, you like it?" Cordelia asked as she finished showing Wesley around her apartment two days later, it was also the first time back to her apartment since she left for work on the morning before she was attacked and beaten by the beasts.  
  
"Thousand times better than what I have already. Just a little bit more added to the rent, nothing of which I can't handle now that I work at Angel Investigations. The only thing that bothers me, is the poltergeist, of course, there's always the option to exorcise -"  
  
Angel opened his mouth to protest, Cordelia got there first. " - No way! Nuh - uh! So not gonna happen! ... He's a *good* ghost, - helpful and everything. You can't just kill him - he's my friend!"  
  
"But -"  
  
Angel stepped in. "Wesley, I've talked to Dennis, and he promised to be as good as gold for you, on one condition."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"That Cordy comes round every now and again and, um.. takes a bath."  
  
Wesley fiddled with the side of his glasses. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that -"  
  
"Ugh!" Cordelia called out, annoyed. " - He said, Dennis wouldn't be mean to you as long as he gets to see me naked every now and then!"  
  
'Talk about blunt, Cordelia.' Angel thought as his friend and now roommate spelled it out for Wesley.  
  
"Oh, I see." Wesley said with a frown.  
  
"Look, I know it's a weird condition, and now you probably have Dennis down as some kinda perv - but he's *not*, he's really sweet, kind, helpful, and I figure, since he's so nice, why not give the guy a little pleasure, it's not like it does any harm!... So you taking it or what?!"  
  
Wesley took a step back from the feisty young woman, and Angel hid a smirk. "Um, well.."  
  
"Spit it out, Wesley!"  
  
"I'll take it, I think. - But what happens if he doesn't see you in a while and get's nasty?"  
  
"If he want's to see me, he'll let you know. Your job is just to let me know before it get's nasty!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "- Jeez!"  
  
She marched in to the bedroom, mumbling about Wesley's indecisiveness on the way.  
  
Angel had to smirk as Wesley rolled his eyes and then suddenly his glasses came off his nose and floated in front of him.  
  
"Dennis, hi. You're gonna be seeing a lot more of me. I'm your new roommate." Wesley managed when he realized what was going on.  
  
His glasses began to fly around the room.  
  
"Dennis, I suggest you stop trying to scare away Wesley, because if you don't he wont take the apartment and we'll have to sell it over to a complete stranger and you'll never see Cordelia again. Clothes or *no* clothes."  
  
The glasses flew back onto Wesley's nose. And he looked at Angel startled. Angel shrugged.  
  
"Cordelia must look *very* good naked, huh, Wes? Dennis wouldn't have given up so easily otherwise." Angel laughed at Wesley's face before following Cordelia into the bedroom to see how she was doing with her packing.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part SIX 


	6. Chapter 6

1 Part 6 –  
  
"Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless." Cordelia sang into the phone as it rang the next day at the office. She was feeling and doing much better. Her wounds were still a bit nasty but she put up with them with the aid of pain-killers and she was wearing tight denim jeans and a black turtle neck with no sleeves - she didn't want anyone to see the still- healing wounds though the ones on her arms weren't too bad.  
  
Angel leaned on the door frame watching her face as she listened trying to work out what was being said by the caller. Wesley had gone back to Cordelia's - well, his new apartment, he still had a lot of things to unpack since today he had mainly been helping Cordelia take her stuff over to Angel's.  
  
Cordelia frowned. "Where'd you get this number? ... Would you just fucking leave me *alone*." She put the phone down and rolled her eyes.  
  
Angel waited for her to tell him what that had been about but she didn't seem to notice him standing in the doorway.  
  
He walked up to the now humming brunette, and was about to ask her about the call, but she spotted him and jumped in surprise. "Angel! Jeez! - We have got to get a bell to go around your neck otherwise I'm gonna die from a heart attack!"  
  
"Sorry. Who called?"  
  
"Um, some kid probably - sounded about 10. He told me he was watching me. -Y'know boy's are *so* immature at that age, and *as* *if* I'd fall for that!"  
  
The phone rang again, and Cordelia jumped. Angel picked up the phone this time. "Angel Investigations."  
  
He listened then put his hand over the mouth-piece and held it out to Cordy. "Some guy. Mike?"  
  
Her face lit up as she took it from him and placed her own hand over the mouth-piece. "Cross your fingers. *Hopefully*, I'm about to get asked out!"  
  
Angel rolled his eyes and headed back to his office, he didn't really want to listen to Cordelia suck-up to this guy.  
  
"How dare you!" Cordelia squealed into the phone, Angel turned back around in interest.  
  
"If you were here now, boy, would I give you a piece of my mind - and it'd be going up a not so pleasant place, get that, kiddo?!" She told the caller before slamming the phone down harshly.  
  
Angel raised an eyebrow at her. "Cordy?" He asked when she didn't say anything.  
  
"Kid *again*."  
  
Angel frowned. "He didn't sound like a kid to me."  
  
Cordelia gave him an incredulous look. "How can you mistake a grown-up for a kid with a squeaky voice like *that*!"  
  
"He had a deep voice!" Angel protested. "And -" He was interrupted by the phone going off again. They both stared at it.  
  
"You answer. I'll listen as well." Angel told her as he strode quickly over to her and sat on her desk, bending down so he'd be able to hear what was being said.  
  
"Angel Investigations." Cordelia said nervously.  
  
"Hey, Cordelia. I think you might wanna pay me a visit. *Very* soon." Wesley's voice drifted down the line.  
  
Angel smirked and straightened his back.  
  
"What's he doing, Wesley?" Cordelia asked with a smile.  
  
She laughed after a minute. "OK, I'll be over in a bit. Tell him that if he doesn't behave then I won't come. - And if he doesn't tidy the place up before I get there, I may have to start singing."  
  
"Bye, Wes!" She said putting the phone down.  
  
She looked at Angel. "You wouldn't *believe* what Dennis has done! - I better go short him out. I promise to be back in about an hour."  
  
She stood up and went to the door, grabbing her coat on the way.  
  
"Be careful, Cora." Angel told her with all seriousness.  
  
She looked back at him and saw in his eyes that he really cared. Her own eyes shined back brightly as she focused on what he'd just said. "Don't worry. I will be. See you in an hour or so."  
  
With a wave of her hand she fled out the door and shut it with ease behind her.  
  
Angel jumped when the phone rang again. He picked it up, trying desperately to remember the little 'slogan' Cordy had made up. She seemed to remember it just fine, he and Doyle on the other hand always thought they had it pinned down, but when it came round to actually answering the phone, they both nearly always said it wrong.  
  
"Angel Investigations, we hope the, no wait, we help the helpful - NO, we help the hopeless! -"  
  
"She's pretty." Came an unusually high-pitched voice down the line.  
  
Angel's eyes narrowed. "Who is this?" He asked angrily.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know. - She has beautiful hair, don't you think? - I love the way it glides behind her as she walks. Oh, but, lately she seems to have lost the confidence when out and about all by herself. Must have something to do with nearly being *killed* by the demon dogs that I set on her."  
  
Anger welled up inside Angel so much, that even when he tried to speak, no words came out.  
  
"Oh, and look, she doesn't seem to like one of my other precious little pets either..."  
  
Angel dashed to the window, knowing that Cordelia wouldn't have gotten far, and maybe he could see if this guy was telling the truth or not.  
  
He couldn't see her, and he threw the phone onto the desk just as the person on the other end hung-up.  
  
He reached for the door, but before he could open it, Cordelia burst through panting and they ran right into each other.  
  
Angel grabbed her wrists and pulled her away from him, looking urgently into her eyes to see if she was OK. "What happened?"  
  
Cordelia took a deep breath. "Big ugly fishy thing. - Didn't even get a chance to get out of the building!"  
  
"Are you hurt? - Where'd it go?"  
  
"I don't know. I got hold of a pipe and whacked it one and just ran. It didn't get the chance to hurt me. But, it might get another target - you better go see if you can -"  
  
Angel shook his head. "You and only you is it's target. If it still wants you it will come and get you."  
  
She frowned. "How do you know that I'm it's target?"  
  
Angel went to the window and looked about again. "The so called 'kid' rang again -only it isn't a kid. Maybe a demon of some short that has a high pitched voice. Anyway stuff was said about you - they said you weren't too impressed by the demon dogs that were set on you and didn't look like you were impressed by this 'big ugly fishy thing' either."  
  
"What?" He turned back to her shocked face and saw fear flicker in her eyes as well.  
  
"Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to you as long as I'm about."  
  
The phone rang again, and Cordelia gave it a nervous look.  
  
Angel picked it up from it's place on the desk, surprised he didn't break it when he had thrown it there before.  
  
This time he didn't bother to say anything, knowing who it would be.  
  
"You should tell her that my pets *don't* want to hurt her, their orders is just to bring her to me, but they seem to find violence hard to restrain when she puts up a fight."  
  
"Why do you want her?"  
  
"Maybe I'll tell you when I finally have her."  
  
"Maybe you'll tell me NOW."  
  
"Such *sexy* long legs, she has, if I were you I'd -"  
  
"LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE, DO YOU HEAR!?"  
  
Angel's harsh tone made Cordelia want to shrink back and hide in a cupboard, from the side of the conversation she could hear, somebody wanted her, real bad.  
  
"Actually no. I choose not to have heard that part. Do you want me to tell you one thing, though, Angel? What I will 'fucking' do? - Is *fucking* her. - Strong and hard until it kills her. *Very* soon." The line went dead and Angel became so mad he vamped out.  
  
He turned to Cordelia. "Somebody's after you, and I'm afraid Cordelia, you are gonna have to be watched like a hawk by me. And I don't care how much you complain that I'm too over-protective of you, because I need you too much just to let you wander off by yourself and get killed." He figured telling her that someone wanted her dead was better than saying somebody was planning to rape her until she died.  
  
Cordelia nodded, not wanting to argue with Angel in game face when he was so aggravated.  
  
The phone rang again and Angel snatched it up. "WHAT?" He growled.  
  
"Um, hey, Angel. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time, but has Cordelia left yet, Dennis is getting rather impatient."  
  
Angel's face returned to normal but he still looked pissed. "I'm sorry Wesley, something came up and it would be WAY to dangerous for Cordelia to leave the office. Tell Dennis to stop being such a selfish little pratt and realize that while he is pinning for Cordelia, some jerk-off is as well but actually taking his obsession with her a little to far and trying to *kidnap* her. Got that?!"  
  
Cordelia tugged the phone off Angel.  
  
Who handed it to her and sat himself down on her desk.  
  
"Wes? - It's Cordelia. I'm sorry about Angel but I've been getting weird calls for *ages* now and we just found out that the person who is doing them also ordered those beasts to go after me, and as it turns out, they were actually supposed to kidnap me. So anyway, I'd love to explain more to you, but that's all I've managed to get out of Angel so far. - Oh, besides the fact we reckon it's a demon. See ya." She hung up before Wesley could reply.  
  
Angel frowned at her. "Ages? - You said you've been getting these calls for ages?"  
  
"Well, today,.. twice or so." She said, knowing that he wasn't believing it.  
  
"Cordelia."  
  
"OK, OK, shine a light in my eyes why doncha! I've had a few calls like that at my apartment starting a few days before the beasts appeared. It just sounded like a kid so -"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me about this!?"  
  
"Well, it didn't seem *that* important. I thought it was just a kid messing about -"  
  
"As it turns out, Cordy, it isn't a kid. And it's not messing about either."  
  
"I know that now. And I know that I should've told you. When he called here at the latest, but, I was just being me, y'know, dim-witted Cordy."  
  
"You're not dim, Cordelia, though sometimes I do worry. Look, all that doesn't matter now. And this freak doesn't matter either cuz he's never gonna get to you, cuz I'm *always* gonna take care of you."  
  
Cordelia nodded. "I know. And I'm glad. I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of me. I mean, I've always wanted a Guardian Angel, now I have one." She smiled at him. "And I wouldn't want an Angel to come in another way, shape or form. I mean, wings would just be tacky. - And who ever heard of a vampire with wings!"  
  
Angel smiled. "Come on. Lets go down stairs. I think I've had enough time in the office for one day."  
  
Cordy smiled and followed him into the elevator, flipping the light off on the way. "Hey, y'know what?! - This is my first 'journey' home from work since I moved in! - How exciting is this!"  
  
Angel diverted his face from her so he was facing forward while she did a little jumping about thing excitedly. His look read oh-my-god-what-the-hell- have-I-got-myself-into.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part SEVEN 


	7. Chapter 7

1 Part 7 –  
  
"I'm gonna sit here and read for awhile." He told her as the elevator stopped and they stepped out and he headed for the sofa which had a pile of books next to it.  
  
Cordelia gave him an incredulous look, but then seemed to remember WHO she was looking at. "Fine by me, dead-boy. If you wanna be boring, you go for it!"  
  
"What is *wrong* with reading?!"  
  
"As I said, it's totally way up on the, -" she gave an enormous yawn placing her slender hand over her mouth, " - factor."  
  
Angel's reply was to sit on the couch and snap a book open almost snapping it in half, his eyes never left Cordy. And he then fixed her with a look.  
  
Cordelia span on her heel and made for the bedroom. "Brooder." She called over her shoulder.  
  
"Ice Queen." He called back without even a heart-beats hesitation.  
  
She appeared back in the room, frowning, Angel had never said anything like what she thought she'd heard him say. "What'd you call me?"  
  
He didn't bother looking up from his book. "Ice Queen." He repeated.  
  
She snatched the book off him. "Hey!" He cried, standing up.  
  
"What ya gonna do? Go all 'grr' on me?" She asked as she held the book behind her back.  
  
"Cordelia, I could get that back in a sec if I wanted."  
  
She just stared at him for a moment. "Then you obviously don't want it back that much cuz a couple of seconds just *flew* by!"  
  
"Do you want me to hurt you? 'Cause, y'know, I will." He was only joking, and Cordelia knew that, but anyone watching would've thought the brunette was in serious trouble.  
  
"Hey, don't you threaten me, mister! - I have a Guardian Angel!"  
  
He backed her into the wall, continuing their little game. "And what's he like, then?"  
  
Her eyes misted over for a second. "Well, he *totally* kicks evil's ass - which in this case you would be. - He, like, almost never flaws. He's tall, dark - and his dark is like a whole new dark to people who don't know him. And I *guess* he's handsome. - "  
  
"Y'know, I've been told I look like him."  
  
Cordelia's face scrunched up and she ducked under his arm he was leaning on the wall with. "Well, my Angel has yellow eyes and fangs. You don't."  
  
"I could if the pretty girl wanted."  
  
Cordelia looked about. "And she'd be hiding where?"  
  
Angel suddenly grinned. "Y'know Cordy, if I was to turn into Angelus right now for no reason, maybe someone 'uncursing' me and lifting off what the oracles did to my soul, I know you'd be able to handle him well."  
  
"Yeah, I'd totally kick his Angelic butt all the way to Sunnydale and have the Scooby gang deal." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"I doubt that, but, you'd out-wit him and keep the verbal going until you cleverly persuaded him to leave. You have spunk."  
  
"Yeah, and -" she pulled out a mini water-pistol from the back of her designer jeans, "I have holy water."  
  
Angel laughed he never knew she carried that around, though it didn't cross his mind she'd ever use it on him. They were the best of friends now. He wasn't just Buffy's vampire boyfriend anymore, and she wasn't just a tag along. "You ever used that?"  
  
She nodded. "Yep. Gave Spike an earful of it back in Sunnydale - *literally*." (totally just made that up -never actually happened in the series, but, in this pretend it did.)  
  
Angel laughed. "I wish I had seen that."  
  
"Yeah so do I. Y'know *none* of the others believed me when I told them I totally kicked blondies ass!"  
  
Angel suddenly reached for his book she was still holding behind her back.  
  
Much to his surprise she had quicker reflexes than he thought, and he fell to the floor as she jumped out of his way, keeping the book firmly in her grip.  
  
She looked down at him. "Wow! Angel, maybe you need to train a little, I mean if you can't get a book from a nineteen-soon-to-be-twenty year old secretary how are you gonna protect that secretary from a bad-ass demon, huh?"  
  
Angel pulled himself off the floor, still shocked at what had happened. "I just didn't expect you to realize what was going on - and even if you did I had no idea you could move like that. AND if I'd known you could move like that, I actually would've put some effort into it."  
  
Cordelia smiled. "I *so* have hidden talents. - Just like you, I mean, no one would've guessed under that angelic face is this yucky yellowed eyed -"  
  
"Hey, I thought that 'yucky yellowed eyed' guy was your Guardian Angel a minute ago!"  
  
She grinned even wider. "Hey, y'know I love both your faces really. It's Angel behind *both* of them right?" Suddenly her eyes misted over and she looked to the floor, her beautiful smile gone.  
  
Angel sensed her change in mood, though he didn't need his vampire senses to do that. "Cordelia?"  
  
She looked back up at him, tears that had yet to be released shone in her beautiful wide eyes. "It's like Doyle. His last words, 'too bad we'll never know.... if this is a face you could learn to love'. - I never got the chance to say that I loved him no matter what he'd look like in demon form - gross eyes or not it's still Doyle in there looking out at me. And it's still Doyle I see."  
  
Suddenly the book he'd been trying to get from her was shoved into his hands.  
  
He looked at her worriedly. "Hope whatever your reading has a happy end, Angel. We need some more of those round here."  
  
"It's non-fiction, Cora. On demons as it happens." He showed her the title.  
  
"Oh,... well, in that case I hope they all *don't* have a happy end. And it's our job to do so I guess."  
  
"No." He said abruptly.  
  
Cordy raised an eyebrow. "No what?"  
  
"It's not *our* job. You're not the one working for redemption here. You shouldn't have to take up a life like this. - You shouldn't have to see all the deaths and constantly put your life at risk. You're a young woman with your whole life ahead of you. You don't need all this demon crap. It's MY job. And mine alone."  
  
"I'm your seer."  
  
"You're my *friend*."  
  
Cordelia's face slowly worked it's way into a smile at his words. "And *you're* my friend. And I won't let you face all the monstrosities in this world alone. I chose this life, Angel. And I'm happy living it, *with you*." She shrugged. "Besides, I think I'm not getting better at the acting thing.... And, well, there's the whole side of while I'd love to be famous, being on the big screen doesn't exactly compare to saving lives. And I've decided, that's what I wanna do. Grow old in these very offices with you, although you're gonna stay looking young and I'm gonna turn out like an old granny."  
  
"You'll be a beautiful old granny, Cordy."  
  
"I know. - Shame that I probably won't have any grandkids to call me granny."  
  
"Hey, there's hope for you yet. The love of your life might just be in your next vision, you might marry him and have the kids that will give you those grandkids to call you granny."  
  
Cordelia smiled. "Nice thought, Angel. But, if I'm planning on staying in this business, I might just turn away the love of my life - wouldn't want my job to put him in danger, and that goes for the kids and grandkids too."  
  
"You want to dedicate your life to fighting evil." It was more of a realization than a question.  
  
"What can I say? Fighting evil gives me a buzz."  
  
"Cora, if you put your life into this - your whole life, you'll be giving up so much. Not just now, but in the future, who knows what things would be like if you left now and started a normal job someplace."  
  
"My future's *here*, Angel, with you and all the soon-to-be-dead-demons. And Cordelia Chase has made her mind up on that. There's *so* not gonna be any changing it."  
  
Angel was finding her giving up on the norm a little hard to handle. "You don't want kids?"  
  
"Well, in my line of work, they'd be kind of a bother, cuz, like, all the bad demon guys who knew Angel Investigations were on their tail would probably attempt to blackmail us, and what better than a kid who has a place in the secretary slash seer's heart?"  
  
"But, Cordy, one day you might want kids."  
  
"If that day comes, Angel, I'll quit. And if I don't, you have permission to fire me - *only* when it gets to the stage of pregnancy though, cuz before that I could change my mind."  
  
"Deal."  
  
"Right, good. So is this the end of the conversation? - Cuz I am so *dying* to take a shower!"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
He couldn't help but smile to himself as she dashed towards the bathroom saying something about it being her first shower there since she moved in.  
  
Angel knew this girl was going to brighten his un-life.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part EIGHT 


	8. Chapter 8

1 Part 8 –  
  
"Ugh! What the *hell* is that?!" Cordelia asked herself as she headed to where the pounding noise was coming from.  
  
Angel was now in the shower, and obviously unaware of someone banging down the back door. And she knew why too - he was listening to classical music in there - 'classical of all things!' she thought rolling her eyes.  
  
Cordelia came up to the door and glanced through the small square glass window. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was that was making the row.  
  
"Hey, in there! Would you get your bloody ass over here and open the bloody door!?" The bleached blonde vampire yelled while he continued his banging.  
  
Cordelia took a step away from the door and dashed to the bathroom.  
  
"ANGEL! We have a *problem*!" She yelled through the door, hoping he would hear her over the shower and music.  
  
He did, and ran out wet with a towel around him. "Cora, what's wrong? - Are you OK?" The vampire asked with concern.  
  
Cordelia gave him a look as the vamp's expression changed as he heard the banging. "What the *hell* is that?"  
  
"*How* have you not been hearing *that*?" She asked him incredulously.  
  
"I was playing classical music in there and that was hard enough to hear over the shower." He explained as he followed her into the lounge-area. "Who's making the commotion?"  
  
"Mr. William-the-'Bloody-hell'."  
  
"Who, Spike?"  
  
"Duh."  
  
Angel peered out the door at his childe.  
  
"Are you a fucking poof or what?" The blonde belted out from the other side. "Get your sad excuse for a vampire butt to open this fucking door! - I don't wanna have to break it down!"  
  
"So?" Cordelia said.  
  
Angel turned back to her. "So what?"  
  
"Aren't you gonna let him in?"  
  
"He's *insulting* me. I don't think so."  
  
"Quit being Broody-guy. - I'm not listening to him banging on the door all night, on my first *proper* night here since -"  
  
The door came crashing down and Spike stepped in.  
  
Cordelia looked at the door that just missed her and Angel's feet. "- Well, you can forget I said *that*."  
  
Angel looked over at the vampire who just ruined his door. "Spike." He greeted coldly.  
  
"Poof." Spike bit back, just as warmly.  
  
Cordelia whacked Spike over the head with the magazine she had been reading before he'd decided to start banging on the door. "You could've *hurt* us, you chicken shit!"  
  
She kept hitting him over the head until he grabbed her suddenly and went in for her neck, Angel moved quickly to intervene, but, he didn't have to, as Spike stepped away from Cordy groaning loudly and clutching his head as he fell to the floor.  
  
Cordelia and Angel looked down at him.  
  
"What's with *you*?" Cordelia asked as he stopped groaning and looked back up at them.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part NINE 


	9. Chapter 9

1 Part 9 –  
  
"Wow, so you like, can't feed anymore?" Angel asked his childe after Spike's explanation.  
  
"Yeah. How crap is *that*!" The blonde cried out in frustration.  
  
"Personally, I'm seeing the good side." Cordelia put in.  
  
"Well *you* would, otherwise I would've 'ad you for dinner."  
  
"With my Guardian Angel around? - I don't *think* so." Cordelia slumped beside Angel on the couch opposite the chair Spike was now sitting in.  
  
Spike suddenly seemed to realize what state of un-dress the pair before him were in. - Angel still was just wearing a towel around his waist, and Cordy, since realizing in the past few days how comfortable Angel's boxers were - despite her doubts before, had changed after her shower and had a pair of Angel's on, along with one of his shirts, un-buttoned so her black bra was in view, her long wavy hair cascaded down her back and around her shoulders in a messy way.  
  
"Bloody-hell." The vamp said, his mouth dropping as he came to a conclusion.  
  
Cordelia raised an eye-brow and Angel looked at his childe quizzically.  
  
"You two are fucking *fucking* each other!"  
  
Angel let out a grin as the words sunk in and Cordelia gave Spike a horrified look. "With Brood-boy. Get real, Spike!"  
  
"Oh, so...."  
  
"Not on this lifetime, Bleachy!" Cordelia said, starting to laugh, but not really seeing the funny side.  
  
Angel joined in with her laughter as he stood up and headed for the bedroom. "Well, since I can trust Spike not to drain you, I think I'll put on some clothes." He disappeared, but his head came back around the door after a moment. "Spike, put the door back up or I'm gonna kick your ass."  
  
"Bloody Poof!" Spike growled.  
  
And he headed to where the door was still lying on the floor.  
  
Cordelia followed him. "So, what brings *you* to LA?"  
  
Spike picked up the heavy door. "Well, I thought, y'know I can't suck the life outta people, no one else should have the pleasure. So I'm here to join the team and bring down all things bad. I guess. If I can be bothered."  
  
"Um, and I guess that'll last until you can suddenly vamp out in *all* ways again and be an all bad thing."  
  
"You're not as dim as you look."  
  
He looked her up and down and realized again what a good view he was getting of her long legs and voluptuous breasts. "And may I say, Cordy, you are looking beautiful tonight..."  
  
He noticed the scar that was healing on her stomach and then the bruises there and scratches on her arms. He frowned and propped the door up against the wall and moved towards her, his eyes on her stomach.  
  
Cordelia at first moved backwards, away from him, but stopped when she saw he actually looked concerned about her.  
  
He bent down and looked thoughtfully at the scar.  
  
Cordelia managed to stop herself from gasping as his cool hand touched her stomach gently.  
  
"How'd this happen? The Poof is obviously not taking good enough care of his employees."  
  
"I take damn good care of Cora." Angel growled coming into the scene.  
  
Cordelia jumped back away from Spike and Spike slowly stood up.  
  
"I can see that." Spike growled back, giving her stomach one last look.  
  
"Don't be such a smart-ass, *William*. It don't suit you." Angel and Spike moved closer to each other step by step.  
  
Something outside caught Cordelia's eye, and she was distracted from Angel and Spike, and moved closer to the threshold.  
  
"*Don't*. Call. Me. *That*." Spike growled.  
  
Cordelia's stomach lurched with fear suddenly and she backed away from the door after seeing something out there again.  
  
"Angel, something's there." She said nervously, still backing up until she was standing behind the vampire.  
  
Both Sire and childe moved towards the door.  
  
"Stay with her. Do not, repeat do *not* leave her side." Angel instructed his childe as he stepped outside.  
  
Cordelia came up and stood by Spike, without realizing what she was doing she took the younger vampire's arm nervously.  
  
Spike, taking in and actually doing what his Sire instructed, took her through into the kitchen, futher away from the door.  
  
"What'd you see, Love?"  
  
"I didn't really see anything, just something move, and something watching me." She looked out in the direction of the door. "And I *don't* like being watched."  
  
The phone rang then and Spike didn't notice Cordelia's terrified look as he picked it up.  
  
"Angel's place." The blonde vamp spoke into the phone.  
  
He held the phone out to Cordy. "For you."  
  
Spike still didn't see the worry in her eyes as she took it.  
  
"While you gossip, I'm gonna take a peek outside, see what the Poof is up to. Won't go far, don't wanna get in daddy's bad books."  
  
Cordelia pressed the phone to her ear as Spike fled outside. "Hello?"  
  
"Cordelia..." The person purred. Cordelia shook.  
  
"I *love* the way you look tonight. Come outside, let me have a better view. Your friend doesn't seem to do it for me like you."  
  
Cordelia swallowed and stood up. Moving towards the door, not to do what the demon on the line wanted, but to be closer to Spike and Angel. "Where are you?"  
  
"Watching your precious Angel. Now, I wonder, *what* would you do without him?" The line went dead.  
  
In a frenzied panic for Angel's safety, the young woman dashed barefoot and hardly dressed outside into the darkness, into the trap.  
  
She strayed a little away from the door. 'Where's Spike? - He said he wouldn't go far!'.  
  
"Spike? - *Where* are you?" She called out.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Angel?"  
  
No answer.  
  
'OH, God, oh *God*.' She thought, panic began to swirl inside her and she choked back a sob.  
  
"Please, guys. Where *are* you?!"  
  
Knowing she'd be better off inside, and waiting for them to come back, IF they came back, she spun around and dashed back to the door.  
  
She didn't even get two steps before a strong hand had pulled her to the ground by her waist.  
  
Before she could scream, another hand was pressed to her mouth, and she breathed in the strong aroma of whatever was being held over her. And slowly her eyes dropped.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part TEN 


	10. Chapter 10

1 Part 10 –  
  
Cordelia woke to a familiar sound.  
  
"You were right, I don't take good enough care of her." One voice said, full of guilt.  
  
"I shouldn't have left her - you *told* me not to leave her and -" Came a second voice, English, scolding himself.  
  
"Would the pair of you shut up, I think she's coming round." A strong English voice interrupted the two before.  
  
Cordelia knew that accent. She knew the other two as well.  
  
Her eyes were very heavy, but, slowly she managed to lift them enough to see where she was and who with before letting the drop again.  
  
From what she had seen, she was lying in Angel's bedroom - now hers as well, and she had been spot on about the three voices and who they belonged to.  
  
"Cora? Come on. Open your eyes." Angel's voice coaxed.  
  
"Like she's gonna just cuz you say so." She heard Spike growl at his Sire.  
  
"Shut up, Spike. *You* left her alone didn't you!" Angel shot back.  
  
"Now, you two bickering isn't helping the situation. I thinks it's best you both leave." She heard Wesley say sharply.  
  
"Leave her with you? Oh, my God that is just *too* funny I forgot to laugh. As if we're gonna leave you there *ogling* her breasts, I swear you are gonna drool in a minute." Cordy could just imagine the blonde vampire doing an impression of Angel's pensive face since he was sounding all serious.  
  
"How dare you! I am most certainly *not* ogling anything."  
  
Cordelia forced her eyes open once again, and found Spike and Wesley giving each other deadly looks, while Angel noticed she was awake and smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Hey." He said soothingly.  
  
Spike and Wesley drew their attention away from each other and to Cordy.  
  
"Morning, Cordelia." Wesley said, looking down at her on the bed anxiously.  
  
"How're you, Love?" Spike drawled in a way that was growing on her.  
  
She pulled herself in a sitting position and pain shot through her head. "Ow! Jesus Christ! - What the hell happened?"  
  
"You don't remember?" Angel asked worriedly.  
  
She sighed. "I remember having a phone call from the high-pitched-girlie- voice demon, and him saying what would my life be like without you, so I rushed outside cuz the line went dead and I figured he might be hurting you..... When I got outside, you and Spike were not around and you weren't answering me when I called for you, so I tried to come back inside, but someone *really* strong grabbed me and covered my mouth with this stinky- stuff..... I don't remember anything else."  
  
Angel propped the pillow up behind her as he spoke. "After the guy grabbed you, me and Spike came back arguing cuz he left you and I told him not to - I guess I should've told him 'bout the demon that has a liking for you - anyway, we came across this guy suffocating you, so while I pulled him off and tried to get answers out of him, Spike carried you back to safety. The guy was a demon, and all I got out of him was he was working for *another* more powerful demon - the one after you. He wouldn't say much else so I cut off his head; that's the only sure way of killing them these days."  
  
Angel pulled covers around her, covering up the chest which Wesley had supposedly been transfixed by. "Then, I came back inside and Spike and I decided to call Wesley here because we didn't know what was on this cloth (showed it her) that the demon made you breathe in. Wes did some tests and thankfully, it wasn't anything harmful, just something strong enough to knock you out for a couple of hours."  
  
"I am *so* wanting less and less to meet this guy."  
  
"Hopefully, Love, you won't have too. Since you've been getting your beauty sleep and the four-eyed poof here was doing his tests, me and Angel have been doing research and we think we know what want's you so bad." Spike said casually.  
  
Angel gave him a death stare. "Hey, you looked in *one* book and then dozed off!"  
  
"Well, mate, I figured I needed to catch up on my beauty sleep. Wouldn't want to look like you now, would I?"  
  
Cordelia let out a big yawn. "I'm still a little drowsy, guys. I think I'm gonna have to sleep it off."  
  
"Right-o, Cordelia. We get the hint." Wesley moved to the door and pulled it open, then turned back waiting for the two vampires to make their exit.  
  
Angel moved towards the door, but, as Spike didn't move an inch, Angel stood next to Wesley, and both brown haired men stared at the blonde one.  
  
"We're waiting, Spike." Wesley said, trying not to sound irritated.  
  
"Hell, I'm stayin' here. Make sure Our Cordy's safe and all that." Angel got the feeling his childe felt guilty for leaving her alone before.  
  
"Spike, the only way in here is through this door. *We're* gonna be on the other side." Angel rolled his eyes. "Now let's give Cora some asleep time."  
  
Spike turned to Cordy, his mouth open, about to ask her what she wanted.  
  
She replied before he'd even asked. "I really need some alone asleep time, Spike. - It was a nice thought though,... *unless* you we're planning to try and bite me again."  
  
"Nah, I believe that is sadly *impossible*, I'm not even gonna *risk* one of those mind-numbing blinding bloody headaches."  
  
"They can't be as bad as a vision. And if you don't believe me, just look at Doyle - I bet he wanted rid of them and passed them onto me and died so he wouldn't suffer anymore!"  
  
"Spike. Out." Angel ordered his childe.  
  
"Bloody-hell, keep your panties on, Angel." The blonde muttered as he strode out past his Sire.  
  
Angel followed. "Night, Cora. - Though it technically is morning, but, anyway, sleep tight."  
  
"Night, night, Cordelia." Wesley told the brunette as he swung the door shut.  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes as she settled down in a more comfy position. "Men!"  
  
~*~  
  
"So it's *defiantly* a Conshi demon?" Wesley questioned Angel as he picked up the book the vampire had found it in.  
  
"Not sure. It has the high pitched voice, and can change that for short periods of time, l know because once when it phoned, I answered and it sounded like a normal guy. Then there's the fact that it's not strong physically - well, as strong as a human anyway, which explains why it's sending others to get Cordelia, it knows I'd beat it into a pulp in a second."  
  
"But this says that they are normally quite *peaceful* demons, and they prefer to be in human form. I don't understand why - "  
  
Angel began pacing, and talking really fast and sternly. "Key word, Wes, *normally*, if you read on you'll see that these demons, when attracted to someone, develop a huge crush. And unlike humans," Angel thought briefly about Doyle's infatuation for Cordelia, "they don't just admire their crush and take weeks to get the courage to ask them out. They go for it. - In for the kill. - And providing the 'crush' doesn't feel the same, I'm meaning that literally."  
  
Angel sat down next to Spike and looked between his childe and the ex- watcher. "This Conshi demon *want's* Cordy. And I mean the want *with* sexual overtones."  
  
"He want's her in the fucking her silly sense?" Spike asked.  
  
"In the fucking her silly sense." Angel confirmed.  
  
"Oh dear." Wesley said, reading.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It says here that the demon will die trying to, er,... um .. 'achieve' it's latest goal. - Which is actually quite sad as they are known to live a peaceful life and have children - sometimes half breeds."  
  
"Well it's not 'achieving' Cor, that's given." Spike growled. He was already beginning to feel like one of the family even though he had not been there for very long.  
  
"And if it want's to die trying, who're we to protest?" Angel said innocently.  
  
Spike took the book from Wesley and looked at the picture of the Conshi in it's ugly demon form. He slammed the book shut. "You're going *down*, Mister!"  
  
And it came from all three men's hearts, even if two technically weren't beating.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part ELEVEN 


	11. Chapter 11

1 Part 11 –  
  
When Cordelia woke for the second time that day, she made her way through to the kitchen, where she found Spike looking in Angel's refrigerator.  
  
The Angelic vampire himself, she had seen fast asleep on the couch as she came out of the bedroom.  
  
"What's up, Blondie? Got a bloodlust?"  
  
Spike shot his head up so fast he hit it on the top on the refrigerator door. "Ow! Cordelia! - You should learn *not* to sneak up on people like that!"  
  
"I don't. I sneak up on the dead. Besides, Angel took the last place on the 'addicted to sneaking up on people - especially your secretary' group therapy thing."  
  
Angel groaned as he came into the kitchen. "I see somebody's feeling better now."  
  
"Oh, yeah. This bitch ain't gonna let any big-ugly-demon-ass scare her. - Demon guy should run screaming from *me* before I kick his ugly hiny!"  
  
Angel began to make coffee for himself. "Cord, you want me to fix you something?"  
  
"That's *the* stupidest question I ever heard! - I'm still waiting for that dinner you were gonna fix me last night - on my first night since I moved in! Can you believe Spike and demon-guy-working-for-other-demon-guy picked yesterday of all nights to show their ugly mugs!"  
  
Spike sat down opposite Cordelia. "Who you callin' ugly?"  
  
"Well, you used to be kinda hot, now your just dull. - Soz about the ugly thing, didn't really mean that."  
  
"Great! I'm not ugly, *just* dull looking!" Angel laughed as Spike took on his preferred look.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure if you ask her nicely, Cordy will give you some pointers."  
  
Spike looked at the grinning brunette hopefully.  
  
"Sure thing, Spike. But, I can do one better...." She stood up and pulled a pair of scissors from a draw and made a move to his hair.  
  
Spike let out a yelp and ran to Angel, who was opening the refrigerator.  
  
"The chick's gone flippin' bloody mental! - She was gonna knock me ups-up- side-the-head with those!" He pointed at the big clampy scissors Cordy held.  
  
"I *was* gonna cut your hair!"  
  
"With *those*!?"  
  
Angel looked at the giant scissors and laughed. "He has a point, Cordy."  
  
She inspected them carefully. "I guess something smaller *would* be better." She looked at her Guardian. "Angel?"  
  
He reached over to the draw closest to him and pulled out a much, much smaller pair. He showed them to Spike for approval.  
  
"Better." He moved to sit down as Cordelia took the scissors from Angel.  
  
"WAIT!" He called just as she was about to snip.  
  
Cordelia sighed. "What now?"  
  
"How do I know you aren't gonna make me look like a poof?"  
  
Cordelia bent down in front of him. "Trust?"  
  
The vampire sighed. "Go on then, if you make a bloody mess of it I'll just stay in, it's not like I go out in the day anyway, and going out at night isn't much fun since this stupid chip! - Can't plan a mega feast with mates or anything!"  
  
While he continued complaining about the 'bloody chip' in his head, Cordelia began to play hair dresser.  
  
Angel watched the young brunette as she focused intensely on his childe's hair. 'She's beautiful when she concentrates - hell, she's beautiful all the time! WAIT! .. Think, Angel you stupid so and so, this is *Cordelia* here! - Your *secretary*! - Your *seer*! - Your *friend*! But she is really -'.  
  
"Angel, what'd ya think?" Cordy asked him, drawing him back from his thoughts.  
  
Angel crossed the room so he could look at his childe straight on. She had actually done a good job. Spike's hair was now short and spiky; people would actually believe that he was called Spike after his hair do and hot for the real vicious murdering reason.  
  
Spike could tell from his Sire's expression Cordelia had done a good job, Angel actually looked impressed. And that was what he'd have to go on, since he didn't have a reflection.  
  
~*~  
  
Cordelia, fed and feeling a lot better, now in a tank top and sweats slouched next to the blonde vampire on the coach.  
  
"Hey, where'd Wes go anyways?" She asked, finally realizing they were missing the presence of the ex-watcher.  
  
"The four-eyed poof spilt tea all over himself and had to go home to change. He wouldn't wear any of Angel's naff looking gear."  
  
"I like Angel's clothes!" Cordelia protested. "Mind you, they would look a right laugh on Wesley!"  
  
Spike smiled at the brunette. 'Man, she's HOT. Maybe I can get something going here!'  
  
"Wes came back awhile ago actually, he's upstairs in the office now." Angel strode in from the kitchen carrying two cups, he headed with them to Cordy and Spike. "So, have you filled Cora in on the new arrangements?"  
  
Cordelia sat up, interested. "What *arrangements*?"  
  
Angel handed her and Spike a cup of steaming coffee each as his blonde childe explained what the arrangements were to Cordy.  
  
"Since I have officially decided to follow daddy's footsteps, I'm another new member of the team."  
  
"What?" She spun her head around to Angel who was on his way back into the kitchen, and her hair flung into Spike's face. "Does this mean a pay cut, Brood-boy?"  
  
"Don't worry, Cordy, Spike's gonna live here with us until he get's an apartment - and then I will only have to give him what he needs for the rent. I promise your payment won't suffer."  
  
"Oh, that's OK then." She surprised Spike by suddenly hugging him. "Welcome to the team, Blondie! But, why are you helping us - what was wrong with Sunnydale and the Slay-crew?"  
  
"Are you *kidding* me? With the stuck-up librarian, flaming haired witch, lanky goofy guy, ex-vengeance demon and hard-ass slayer? - And then there's the whole SunnyHELL thing. When you've been there awhile it's just the same old after the same old. Besides, figured there was more ass to kick in LA with a poof. Now there's the extra bonus of a four-eyed poof and a fashionable may queen. But the main reason was that *sad* excuse for a vampire, Harmony, - she is as annoying as hell!"  
  
"*Harmony*? One of my Cordettes?" Cordelia's eyes flamed.  
  
"Um,... yeah. - But that was when I was evil, I'm one of the good guys now!"  
  
"I thought you said the chip only stopped you from feeding your bloodlust. You could still be evil-Spike if you wanted - just without feeding on anything human... And you turned one of *my* girls?!"  
  
"Cordelia, listen, I -"  
  
"Yes or no, Spike? I'm waiting." Cordelia gave the blonde normally tough looking man a death stare, Angel, who was still watching had to smile at his childe's fidgeting around nervously.  
  
"Yes, but -"  
  
"Good! Harmony is such a little priss! I mean, in High School she was like a *sheep*, always trying to win my attention. Girl needed a life!... So what's vamp-Harm like?"  
  
"Pompous brat. And I wouldn't put it past her to try and come after me here! She's fixated with me!"  
  
"If she turns up, I'm gonna stake the little follow-round!"  
  
"You go, girl!" Spike cheered.  
  
Cordelia and Angel laughed.  
  
"You so never used to be like this, you were always bad-ass-blonde-vamp- guy, well, OK, revenge-seeking-bad-ass-blonde-vamp-guy that is. Why would a chip in the head stop you from being evil-Spike?"  
  
"No idea. I guess I'm just bored of being bad-ass-vamp-guy, *Angel* was getting more attention being good, figured I'd give it a try!" He smiled at her. "Besides, it's nice to smile and not have to always frown."  
  
"Yeah, you can have more fun with a smile!" She said grinning at him.  
  
Angel rolled his eyes. "Ugh, you two go out already, I'm not gonna watch this become another Doyle-Cordy fiasco!". But, he really didn't mean it. 'Please, please, *please* don't go out - wait, why would I care if Spike went out with Cordy? - 'Cuz I want to go out with her! -WHAT! *Jeez*! - Why would I think that?!'  
  
"ME and HER?" Spike laughed.  
  
"ME and HIM?" Cordelia laughed.  
  
They both suddenly stopped laughing and pulled a face.  
  
"Ugh! Miss 'totally superficial material girl'?"  
  
"Eeeew! - Vampire! Do you like, *want* me to be killed, Angel?" Cordy's nose scrunched up.  
  
"- GET A LIFE!" They chorused.  
  
Angel just turned back into the kitchen, still grinning from their words. 'Cora's right, you can have more fun with a smile', he grinned even wider.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part TWELVE 


	12. Chapter 12

1 Part 12 –  
  
Cordelia padded barefoot through to the bedroom looking for Angel, she had just discovered something unusual about herself that she hadn't noticed before and wanted to ask him about it, she thought maybe it was something else Doyle had passed onto her. 'Although he never told *me* about it, mind you he never told *me* about being half-demon, maybe he told Angel?'  
  
But, that wasn't the most important thing, her ultimate goal was to drop hints about how much she liked a dress in a magazine she was holding, and hopefully receive it off him for her birthday, it was only four days away don't you know! 'Bet Brood-boy has forgotten about my birthday, ha, we'll see about *that*!'  
  
She found the vampire she was looking for sat on 'his' side of the bed reading a book. (Angel hadn't wanted to get a new bed, and so let Cordy pick her side, not that it mattered anyhow, she slept nights and he slept days, though that sleeping schedule wasn't true to the past few days.)  
  
"Angel?" Cordy asked as she perched beside him on his side.  
  
"Uh - oh." He muttered, Cordelia just caught it.  
  
"Uh - oh, what?"  
  
"You want something." He stated, not even looking up from his book.  
  
"Well, it is my birthday in a *four* days, and I can't find any short of present hiding round here so you have obviously either found another place to hide it, haven't got it yet, *or* you have forgotten I'm going to be hitting twenty!"  
  
The latter had been the correct guess, he had planned to get her something a week ago, but had forgotten with all the dealings with demons. He managed to hide the fact that he hadn't, though.  
  
"So," she continued, "if you have forgotten, or just haven't bothered yet. There's this dress in here I like - and it's quite cheap really!"  
  
"In my terms, your cheap is expensive, and your expensive is... is...., well, a LOAD of money. Expand on cheap, Cora."  
  
"'ninety–eight dollars."  
  
"Huh... I expected it to be more. You lost your taste for expensive clothes, Cordy?"  
  
"Hey, I'd rather having something I *like* a lot than something mega expensive that I don't like as much."  
  
Angel sighed and pulled the magazine from her hands. "Show me."  
  
Cordelia reached over and found the right page, she pointed at a beautiful red long leather made dress, with a long slit up the one side, and a zip on the front that ended just where the model's breasts rounded out. 'Cordy would look great in this.'  
  
"What'd ya think?"  
  
"I think it's nice."  
  
"*Nice!* Just nice?"  
  
"OK, it's *really* nice."  
  
Cor rolled her eyes defeated. "Yeah, really nice." She said in a bored voice.  
  
Angel put the magazine beside him. "And who knows, I might get you a *really* nice birthday present."  
  
Cordelia's bright smile appeared on her face in an instant. She shrugged. "Who knows!"  
  
She stood up and headed to the door, Angel picked up his book and began reading.  
  
"OH, I wanted to ask you something!" Cordelia blurted out as she paused by the door, Angel put his book down and looked over at her, eyebrow raised questionably.  
  
"And that'd be..."  
  
"Was there anything else Doyle failed to tell me apart from the whole half- demon thing?"  
  
"No. At least I don't think so. Why'd you ask tha -"  
  
"- Do you think he could've been hiding something else from *both* of us?"  
  
Angel frowned. "Like what? And why are you asking me this stuff?"  
  
Cordelia ignored his questions. "Do you reckon he could've passed other *stuff* to me when we kissed?"  
  
"Cora, why are you -?"  
  
"Hey, do ya think he didn't tell us cuz he thought we'd be weirded out? - But that's silly cuz we have seen enough weird things *not* to be weirded out anymore, right? *And* I don't think it's weird - kinda cool, actually!"  
  
"Weirded out?"  
  
"Maybe he didn't know!"  
  
"Know what?" Angel asked, completely confused as he stood up and moved towards his seer.  
  
"*Or* maybe it didn't come from him altogether!"  
  
"What'd you mean -?"  
  
"Hey, I know! Maybe it's something I caught from one of the past demons you've killed!"  
  
"Cordelia, what -?"  
  
"Oh, my, gosh!" Her eyes widened and she finally stopped talking so continuously.  
  
Angel became worried. "What?"  
  
"Could it be, like, extra seer stuff that comes after time - like puberty kicks in *after* you've been born for ages. Do you think that this is like, seers puberty?"  
  
Angel just stared at her with a raised eyebrow, having no idea what his seer was babbling on about.  
  
Cordelia gave him a look. "Angel, are you listening to me?"  
  
"*What* are you talking about?!"  
  
"The thing!"  
  
"What thing?"  
  
Cordelia's face clouded over. "I forgot to mention the *thing*, huh?"  
  
"Well, nothing 'thingy' springs to mind!"  
  
"Sorry, I guess I got carried away... So, anyways, I just did this thing - this abnormal thing, and I thought maybe it was an extra seer thing Doyle didn't mention to me, or possibly something completely different - who knows!"  
  
"Cora, *what* is the thing?"  
  
She grabbed his arm and led him into the kitchen and started filling up a cup with water.  
  
"Nothing *big* really, see, I had this cup of coffee that went cold, and when I picked it up to go get rid of it *wishing* that it was still warm so I wouldn't have to bother making more, it magically became steaming hot - I *so* nearly burnt myself!"  
  
She placed the water on the table. "Look, that's cold water, right?"  
  
Angel dipped his finger in it, still a little confused at what she was going on about. "Totally."  
  
He watched as she picked up the cup, closed her eyes for a split second, and waved her hand over it before placing the cup back on the table.  
  
"Right, now feel that."  
  
He went to put his finger in, but Cordelia, fast as lightning, quickly grabbed his hand before he could do it. "Trust me. You'll get burnt."  
  
She picked up the cup and handed it to him, and he was *very* surprised to feel heat coming from the cup.  
  
Angel frowned, and inspected the cup, thinking it might be a trick. "How did you-?"  
  
"- How the hell am I supposed to know! You're the experienced one in these things - *You* tell *me*!"  
  
Angel bit his bottom lip for a second, looking from Cora who was leaning on the table to the cup in his hands. "WESLEY!" He yelled, Cordelia nearly fell over in surprise.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part THIRTEEN 


	13. Chapter 13

1 Part 13 –  
  
After a few moments, both the ex-watcher and the younger vampire and into the room from the offices upstairs.  
  
"W.... wha... what's... wrong?" The former watcher asked trying to catch his breath having run from upstairs  
  
"Poof." Spike muttered under his breath, 'I'm not out of breath and I've come from the same place Poofy has, …though, I don't actually need to breathe,' the blonde haired vampire thought.  
  
Angel placed the cup back on the table and turned to Cordelia. "Can you reverse it?"  
  
"Like, hot to cold?" Angel nodded and the brunette shrugged. "Dunno. I can try, don't know if it would work."  
  
Angel pushed the cup towards her. "Try." He turned to the two men who were looking on confused. "See the steam coming from that cup?"  
  
Wesley moved forward to get a better view. "Why, yes, I can. Why?"  
  
"It's steaming hot, right?" Angel asked.  
  
Spike rolled his eyes and moved to put his finger into the cup, he pulled it out quickly, trying not to show that it had cause him pain. "Steaming hot." Spike confirmed through clenched teeth.  
  
Cordelia stifled a grin as Angel winked at her, thanking her for stopping him burn himself earlier.  
  
"Cora, um... do the.. um.. *thing*." The elder vampire instructed.  
  
The ex-May Queen did as she had done when demonstrating the abnormality to Angel, and placed the cup back onto the table.  
  
She shot Spike a shy look. "But your finger in now, Spike."  
  
"Your bloody joking, it's bloody steaming hot!" The vampire roared at her as if she was thick.  
  
But, Wesley, who had been watching closely, knew that Angel and Cordelia were trying to show them something, and he could not see any steam rising from the cup.  
  
So before Spike could complain more, and before Cordelia could tell him off for treating her like she was stupid, the former watcher leaned forward and stuck his finger into the cup. It was cold.  
  
The other three pairs of eyes went down to his finger, all waiting for him to yell out in pain.  
  
"It's cold." He told them. His gaze rose to Cordelia's. "How did you -? What -? How? Wha -? ... *What*?"  
  
Cordelia shrugged. "No idea."  
  
"Is this a bloody trick?" Spike asked, finally catching on what they were talking about - the young brunette had just turned very hot water into cold water. That couldn't happen, right?  
  
Angel shrugged. "Well, if it is, Cora came up with it on her own."  
  
Cordy shot him a glare. "Are you implying that I *wouldn't* be able to construct a mind trick like this?"  
  
"So, it's a mind trick?"  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes as she threw her arms out in frustration. "No. I don't know *what* the fuck it is!"  
  
Wesley pushed the cup towards her. "Do it again."  
  
Cordelia picked the cup up, mumbling. "What the hell am I? - A bloody freak show? - Not this girl, Mister!"  
  
She closed her eyes and waved her hand over the cup, before roughly passing it back to Wesley, some splashed onto him and he yelped out in surprise, dropping the cup and falling to the floor in shock - it felt like boiling water, obviously hotter than it had been when Spike had put his finger in.  
  
'Temperature might have something to do with her being angry.' Angel thought.  
  
Cordelia rushed round the table to the former watcher. "Oh, my gosh. Are you alright, Wesley? - I didn't mean to make you -"  
  
She was cut off by Wesley giving her a strange look, almost a frightened look through his skewed glasses. "Wesley?"  
  
She only caught his words because she was right next to him, yet the vampires had no problem with hearing it. "What *are* you?"  
  
His words struck Cordelia like lightening, and she fell back onto her heels.  
  
Angel had come round behind Wesley, and lifted him off the floor. "Wesley." He said warningly. "That was out of order -"  
  
The ex-watcher cut him off. "She's a demon of some short - she can't be human. Angel, you must kill her, that's not our Cordelia!"  
  
Spike, who had pulled a shocked Cordelia off the floor onto a chair, smelled the air around her. "It's Cordelia, I can smell her blood."  
  
Wesley yanked his arm from Angel. "It might be Cordelia's body - Cordelia's blood. But it's not her inside - some demon must be controlling her." Wesley turned frantically to the vampire next to him. "Angel, you must kill her before -"  
  
Cordelia jumped up. "Oh, shut up, Wesley! - I'm *not* a demon -eeeeww, ... and I am totally not being controlled by anything or anyone!"  
  
"Well, you are not going to admit it are you!" The English voice bit back.  
  
"I'm Cordelia Chase, God damit - and I'm so *not* a demon!" She glanced between Spike and Angel. "Not that there's anything wrong with being a demon."  
  
"Wesley, you need to calm down, there's probably a logical explanation why Cordelia - *our* Cordelia can do this stuff, I was hoping that *you* would help out and find what's happened to her!"  
  
Cordelia slumped back into her seat. "What's with the 'our' anyway, like *I* belong to *you*."  
  
She looked solemnly over to Wesley, who was giving her the once over with his eyes.  
  
"Look, Wesley, it's not like I'm your *friend*, it's not like I see you as *family* or anything. Feel free to toss my feelings around and do what you like with them, it's not gonna have any effect on me now, is it?!" She said sarcastically.  
  
Wesley looked to the floor, her words were quite true, of course they were friends, and now, with Angel, being all that they had, were family. He wouldn't treat his dog this way, if he had one, let alone one of his friends and surrogate family member.  
  
"Cordelia. I was out of line. I'm sor -"  
  
"Oh, don't act contrite, Wes, it's not like I expected more from you than I ever got off anyone else!"  
  
"I really am truly sorry."  
  
She got up and stood next to Angel, facing the former watcher. "Yeah, maybe you are now, but when you said it you meant it. 'What *are* you?'" She mimicked him in a girlie voice. "You want to know what I am, Wesley? I'm your friend, looks like assuming you thought the same about me was going a little too far in my fantasy world, huh?"  
  
She spun on her heel to face Angel. "What about you, Angel? Me just thinking we're friends isn't my imagination is it? Am I really here living with you cuz you care for me, or cuz you feel sorry for me, just like everyone else does? Am I just poor, pathetic Cordy to you?"  
  
Her gaze shifted over to Spike. "You're like the only friend I have here, Spike. Or am I only assuming that because you haven't been here long enough to show your true feeling towards me, huh? And that I really make your flesh crawl, and the smell of my blood makes you want to hurl?"  
  
She swung around, looking at them all watching her worriedly. She let her arms swing out as she glared at them all over and over and she spun around.  
  
"Come on! One of you tell me what you really think of pathetic Cordy cuz the suspense is killing me!"  
  
"You're family, Cordelia. You're our friend and we care a lot about you." Angel spoke up, making the brunette face him by taking her shoulders. "If anything happened to you... I don't know what I'd do."  
  
"Nothing will ever happen to me, Angel. I have you watching out for me don't I?" She smirked as she glanced over at Wesley and Spike. "Now I have Dumb and Dumber doing the same."  
  
She sighed and went to Wesley and took his hand. "Apology accepted, Dumb, although, I didn't think it would freak you out like that, it's nothing really big after all I've seen in Sunnydale and LA. Guess growing up on the Hellmouth makes you immune to things like this."  
  
"Hey, wait a minute - if he's 'Dumb' - am I Dumber?" Spike asked.  
  
"You're a blonde, aren't you?" She said with a huge grin.  
  
"What's that got to - oh!" She moved around the table so it blocked her from him. "Come 'ere!"  
  
Angel and Wesley laughed as they watched a giggling Cordelia dash round and round the table with Spike hot at her heels.  
  
When he caught up with her, he tackled her to the floor and began tickling the already laughing girl.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part FOURTEEN 


	14. Chapter 14

1 Part 14 –  
  
"Right, OK. So that's a no go." Wesley told Cordelia, who yawned from her position on the couch.  
  
"Is this gonna take much longer, cuz y'know it's really boring!" Cordelia wined before pulling a blanket over her. It was about one in the morning and they had all been up all night while Wesley looked up things on past demons that could've passed this power onto Cordelia.  
  
Angel had managed to escape by going off to pay the Oracles a visit to see if it really was a seer thing. 'Lucky devil!' Cordelia thought. Then she smirked to herself. 'Jeez, listen to me, I'm calling an *Angel* who protects people a devil. Definitely been up too long.'  
  
"I'm so with you on that one, and I'm only listening!" Spike called out from the kitchen where he'd just gone to get some more blood, hey, this thinking stuff was hard work!  
  
"Yeah, and putting in the odd comment, which nobody gets while you laugh your evil vampire socks off!" Cordelia bit back.  
  
"Hey, less of the evil, I'm a good guy now!"  
  
Cordelia was about to retort, but Wesley jumped in. "I'm sorry, Cordelia. But, really, wouldn't you like to get to the bottom of this unusual power you've acquired?" The ex-watcher asked, looking up from a stack of notes.  
  
"I've already pretty much put it in the seer puberty category, and if that don't work out, I'm blaming anyone of the past demons we've delt with for giving it to me, I don't see why it matters which one. It's no biggie, Wes, it's not like I can suddenly do a bunch of other cooler stuff, I mean, warming up a drink after it gets cold without getting up does have it's advantages, like, the not getting up thing, but it's not exactly anything more than that -"  
  
"You're a genius!" Wesley exclaimed, jumping up and not noticing all his notes fell from his lap onto the floor.  
  
"And that's why I can make hot water cold and vice versa?" Cordelia asked doubtfully, completely getting the wrong impression.  
  
"Maybe not." He whispered under his breath, only Spike caught it as he re- entered the room.  
  
"No, Cordelia, I mean, all this time we've been focusing on what we already know you are capable of - we should be testing you for other things now!"  
  
"Other powers? Jeez, Wes, don't you think I would've, oh I don't know, maybe *noticed* other weird stuff I can do!"  
  
'I already knew she wasn't a morning person, and apparently not a staying up all night one filled with coffee person either. Mind you, she was always like this.' Wesley thought.  
  
"Not necessarily, maybe it's something you wouldn't notice because it's something you developed over time - no matter how long or short that period - therefore, if *you* developed it more from what it was at the start, you would think it's something you've learnt, not acquired." He attempted to explain.  
  
Spike and Cordelia stared at him blankly.  
  
Wesley looked to and from them. "It's quite simple if you think about it." He suddenly remembered reading something once. "Or it could be something else together. Cordelia, did your parents -"  
  
All three pairs of eyes flickered over towards the elevator as it grinned to a halt and was pulled open.  
  
Angel stepped out, all pensive face, as per usual, he took his coat off and draped it over a chair before walking past them all into the kitchen without even realizing they were there. His lips were moving slightly as if he were going over something to himself in his head.  
  
Cordelia jumped up and followed Spike's lead after Angel, who they found sitting at the table muttering to himself.  
  
Wesley headed in the other direction to Angel's 'Library'.  
  
"So? How'd it go?" Cordelia encouraged.  
  
"Hum?" Angel looked over them briefly before turning back and staring at the wall. "Oh. Yes, nice shoes, Cora."  
  
Spike and Cordelia's gazes dropped to her feet. She wasn't wearing any shoes.  
  
"Uh, mate. I think we'd all like to know what these Oracle guys said." Spike tried.  
  
"That's nice, Spike." Angel mumbled.  
  
"Let's go all out then, shall we?" Cordelia whispered to the blonde vampire next to him, who turned to her about to ask what she meant, and was completely surprised by what she said. "Spike, I want to fuck you on that table right now." She said loudly.  
  
Angel stood up so fast the table was knocked over. He shot confused looks over to Cordelia and - a now what Spike believed was an hearing impaired -vampire.  
  
"What? I had to do something, Angel, you were being all zombie guy, which is unusual for you since your normal status is broody boy." Cordy told him casually as she went to pick the table up, Angel and Spike instantly helped.  
  
"So, come on, mate. What'd these Oracle dudes say, or you wanna go stare at the wall longer before spilling?"  
  
"Well, they made no -"  
  
"*Wesley*! Get in here, Angel's about to do the whole analysis thingamajig!" Cordelia yelled.  
  
Spike frowned. "You don't have to yell that in my ear!"  
  
Wesley came in with a very old looking book. "I think I may have found something, Cordelia, if you could just tell me -"  
  
"Shut up, you Poof. I've heard enough of your voice tonight to last me forever. Give us a break for just five bloody minutes!"  
  
'So, vampires can get irritable from lack of sleep just like young women.' Wesley thought as he let his mouth close and took a seat at the table.  
  
"They were just as cryptic as usual. But I defiantly got the impression that whatever has happened to Cordelia, hasn't been because of any demons she may have come into contact with. As for it being a seer thing, all they basically said was what happens to her was meant to happen and it's not because of who *I* am but who *she* is."  
  
"So this thing I have, it's not cuz I'm your seer? And if it's not something from a demon, what the hell is it?"  
  
"Cordelia, your parents, are they both mortals?" Wesley asked impatiently.  
  
"Wesley, after all those years helping Buffy to fight vampires and demons, I think Cordelia would've picked up on any tell-tale signs and worked it out by now. And if your implying that Cora is some type of half-demon, Buffy's instincts would've picked up on it years ago, and me and Spike would be able to tell right here and now!"  
  
"Actually, Angel. I wouldn't know."  
  
"Cora, you'd know if they were after living with them for nineteen years, especially after hanging out in the library for over four years!"  
  
"Of course I'd know from living with them, Angel. If I lived with them. 'Them' being by biological parents. I'm adopted."  
  
Angel's mouth dropped. He hadn't known that. 'How come she never told me that? Why didn't Giles or Buffy or someone let me know? What, did they want me to be totally clueless?' "You never said."  
  
Cordelia fixed him with a look. "You never asked."  
  
"You should've told me, Cora. I'm supposed to be -"  
  
"- My best friend? Yeah, I know. Don't take it personally, Angel. No one on this earth knows I'm adopted and if they did, I certainly never told them."  
  
"You never told anyone?" Angel felt a wave of sympathy. 'She never felt there was anyone she could tell,' he thought sadly.  
  
"Telling someone I'm adopted is one thing. Telling them the whole story behind it is another. I don't think I *ever* want anyone to hear it because it's too, too... it's not an everyday thing, and, well, it just hurts to think about it." She slumped down on a chair.  
  
"So your parents, your real parents, you have no idea if they are both completely human or not?" Wesley questioned urgently.  
  
"Wesley!" Spike rolled his eyes. "Jeez, I'm an evil turned good vampire here - and even *I* know to be sensitive right now, and there's you just butting in with questions like -"  
  
"- Excuse me." Cordelia stood up abruptly and walked quickly through into the bathroom.  
  
She shut the door quietly behind her, which clued Angel in that this was really something big with her. It was something close to her that made her feel pain - if it had been something like anger or possibly anything else, she would've slammed the door. Either that or started screaming abuse at them all.  
  
He glanced at Spike and Wesley. "I know it's not your fault - either of you. I guess this must be a very touchy subject with her. Admitting it to someone for the first time must have made her face up to it more than she's ever had to before."  
  
"Angel, if she has never met her parents, then they might be demons or -"  
  
"They won't be demons, even if she has only received her demon heritage now, Buffy, Spike and I would have always felt something about her. And well, I know I don't, Spike obviously doesn't. And Buffy never mentioned anything."  
  
"Still, I think we should do background checks on both her biological parents." Wesley sighed. "You wouldn't be able to get the name of the adoption agency out of her would you?"  
  
"I doubt she would know that if she never wanted to accept it."  
  
"Her biological parents names then?"  
  
Angel turned to the door. "I'll try."  
  
He taped gently on the door. "Cordelia, it's Angel. Can I come in, or -"  
  
The handle twisted and the door opened slowly.  
  
He walked in and shut the door behind him.  
  
~*~  
  
Go no to part FIFTEEN 


	15. Chapter 15

1 Part 15 –  
  
She was sitting against the wall on the floor by the door. Her face showed no sign of emotion.  
  
Angel took a seat on the toilet opposite her. "You wanna talk about it?"  
  
She finally looked up at him after ages of waiting.  
  
"It's hard y'know. To think that someone just passed you on. When my mom was telling me about it, she gave me a few details. And there's some good in knowing that they *might* not have wanted to give me up, they just had to. But, even knowing that, it's still hard... still hurts."  
  
She put her head back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. "I was told when I was seven. Before I knew about it, I was more of a real person. But when I was told, I felt that even people you've never met can hurt you, and I hardened up. I became the Cordelia Chase you met when you first came to Sunnydale High. The Ice Queen. The Bitch. I was so ruthless with everyone, cuz I figured, chances are all these people would be connected in hurting me in some way or another, let me get to them first. But that's not the case is it?" She spoke gently and quietly.  
  
She looked at Angel, who didn't know really what to say. He never thought Cordelia had so many levels, which he knew was a bad thing to be thinking about his friend.  
  
She coughed. "So, I guess you want the story, huh?" Her cold hard no- messing-about tone was back.  
  
"You don't have to, Cora -"  
  
"Yeah I do. It's best to get this out now, starting from the top."  
  
She pulled her knees to her chest and held them there.  
  
"My parents - the ones who adopted me, they don't really love me - I know you're gonna object to that cuz you think they wouldn't have adopted me if they didn't want me, right? - So not the case. See, all their friends were doing the whole making babies thing. So my mom and dad decided to join in. But I guess my mom didn't fancy the whole labour deal or something so they adopted. Which is *really* selfish, cuz I *know* they are both very capable of doing the nasty, and they both have all the equipment needed to have a baby, they just couldn't be bothered."  
  
She sighed, "So instead of letting me go to a nice loving home, the adoption agency probably took one look at the big check they were getting for me, the size of the house and all the toys and figured I'd be loved. Boy, were they wrong. I could be compared to a kid's toy which gets played with for like a week until something better comes along... I've had like a zillion different nannies, all of which I've been closer to and spent more time with than my parents. But my mom has this jealously problem, just cuz she doesn't love me, no one can. *Every* nanny I had was only for about a month cuz my mom didn't want me getting too attached. Of course, I delt. I had to, there wasn't another way to get through life. And when they told me I was adopted, it was like, wow, maybe the two people out there who made me would want me back. Nope, wrong. Turns out my real dad's dead, and my mom, hey, she killed him for getting her pregnant and is doing time. Great stuff to know, huh?"  
  
She spoke like she didn't care. Her eyes told Angel different.  
  
"Have you ever been to see her?"  
  
"They asked if I wanted to. I didn't. I didn't even want to know how she killed him. I just couldn't think of it. - Most seven year olds go to sleep scared of monsters and things under the bed that people swear don't exist, boy, if they ever found out the truth... As for me, I was flippin' terrified for myself - what would happen to me in the future if I ever met my real mother - would she be angry towards me for ruining her life? Would she do to me what she did my dad? I did not want to know her, Angel, or know anything about her."  
  
"Do you know her name? - Or your fathers?"  
  
"Ah, here we go. Research mode." She rolled her eyes and Angel felt guilty.  
  
"You don't have to say, Cordelia -"  
  
"No, it's OK, Angel. I understand you are eager to find out why I can do the *thing*, and I guess going up the family tree is a good way of starting. But, I don't know anything about my father except my mother killed him. What I do know about my mom is her last name. Rhodes. And I only know that cuz my adopted mom said I should be glad they adopted me, cuz if they didn't I would be stuck with the name Amy Rhodes. She said Amy was a common name. But, I actually like it. Of course, I'm more of a Cordelia now cuz of how I was brought up…. - Hey, y'know Amy means beloved. If my biological mom chose that name for me, it could mean she loves me, right? And as for Cordelia, well, all I could find in the book I used when I was eight was Delia, that was a short version of Cordelia, so god knows why they didn't just put Cordelia in too! Anyway, all it said was some crap about Greek twins Artemis and Apollo."  
  
"Artemis and Apollo?"  
  
"Heard of them?"  
  
"I remember being told something about them once... In Homeric legend Apollo was primarily a god of prophecy. His most important oracle was at Delphi, the site of his victory over the Python. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he loved."  
  
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. Angel sounded like he was quoting a book or something.  
  
"His twin sister, Artemis, was the guardian of young women, and Apollo was the special protector of young men. "  
  
"I'd hate for you to be interrupted while in complete reading-from-memory- mode, but I don't really care about all this, Angel."  
  
"Maybe you should care."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You have visions." He stated thoughtfully.  
  
"Really? - Cuz I don't remember anything about these blinding, eye-ball popping, head-splitting visions you speak of!" She rolled her eyes.  
  
Angel jumped up. "Cora, come with me. I need to talk to Wesley."  
  
He pulled her up and lead her back into the kitchen.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part SIXTEEN 


	16. Chapter 16

1 Part 16 –  
  
"Wesley. You know anything about Greek twins Artemis and Apollo?"  
  
"Why yes. Aren't they the son and daughter of Zeus and Leto, a daughter of Titan?" When Angel nodded, Wesley went on. "Artemis was the goddess of childbirth, of nature, and of the harvest. She was also the chief hunter to the gods and goddess of hunting and of wild animals, especially bears. And as the Olympian goddess of the moon, she was sometimes identified with goddesses Selene, goddess of the moon and Hecate, goddess of darkness. Apollo was a god of prophecy, and some mortals which he loved were given this gift. He was also the god of agriculture and cattle and of light and truth. He taught humans the art of healing. The twins mother, Leto, was said to be very much loved by Zeus, but because of his wife, Hera, and fearing her jealously, Leto was banished while bearing the twins. Leto found an island where she was welcomed, Delos, which is where she gave birth to the twins… In fact, the name Cordelia came from the Greek island Delos, from Delia."  
  
Cordelia was giving him a funny look. "How the *hell* do you know all that, Wes? You're as bad as Angel." She looked over at Spike. "Anything you want to add, Blondie?"  
  
"I'm not as *old* as Angel. And not as *sad* as Wesley. I'm still trying to work out how the bloody subject went from you being adopted to bloody Greek gods!"  
  
Cordelia had to smile at how blunt he was being. She wondered what this had got to do with her heating and cooling water. Hey, she didn't even know why her being adopted was a thing - she wasn't demon or anything cuz Buffy would've known even when she didn't!  
  
"They've lost me too!" She told the blonde vampire as she went and stood next to him.  
  
"Actually, Angel. Would you mind telling me what brought Artemis and Apollo up? And what it has got to do with anything?" Wesley questioned, sitting at the table with coffee he had obviously just made.  
  
"I read somewhere years and years ago, of someone called the Blessed Salient One, who would stop some evil god taking over, I can't remember the exact details, but, it said they were to be half god themselves, while also half mortal. The Salient One was to have extreme powers, just like a god, and as strong as a god, but, technically they would be mortal. The Salient One was to have many, many different powers, but there was three things certain they would have; the power to heal; the gift of prophecy's; and finally a connection to the oracles, especially the oracle at Delphi. It didn't say anything about Apollo, but thinking about it now, ... Apollo taught mortals how to heal, Apollo was a primarily a god of prophecy, and Delphi was the site of Apollo's victory over the Python for the oracle there."  
  
"So the Salient One would have a connection to Apollo?"  
  
Angel nodded. "I'm thinking that possibly Apollo would be the father of the Salient One, and the mother would be mortal, since the book said the Blessed Salient One would be half mortal."  
  
"But, what has that got to do -"  
  
"Cordelia. - The name. It originated from Delos, where Apollo and his sister were born."  
  
"So you think Cordelia is the Salient One? - Angel, that's ridiculous! Cordelia is just a name!" Wes looked over at Cordelia. "I'm sorry to have to ask this, Cordelia, but, am I right in thinking Cordelia was your adopted name?"  
  
"Yeah. My real mom called me Amy."  
  
"See, Angel. I don't see -"  
  
"Firstly, Cora has visions – *prophecies*. That's one of the three things the Salient One has, the rest could be yet to come..." He turned to the leggy brunette. "Cora, could you phone your parents and ask them why they named you Cordelia?"  
  
"Angel, I'm with Wesley. There must be a zillion girls out there called Cordelia, besides, I wasn't even called Cordelia from the start. I was an Amy!"  
  
"Please, Cordelia. I just need to know *why* they finally decided on that. What was wrong with Amy?"  
  
"I told you! Jeez, weren't you listening - my mom thought it was too common!"  
  
"Cordelia, please -"  
  
She swung her arms out in frustration. "Fine! I'll do it." She marched to the phone.  
  
"My parents are gonna be so mad for this!" She told them as she dialled. "I mean, it's six o'clock in the morning!" She then glared at the former watcher "- Which reminds me, I've had no sleep thanks to all of your questions, Wesley."  
  
The rouge demon hunter muttered an apology, not wanting to be on her bad side.  
  
She tapped her foot impatiently. "It's ringing." She informed them.  
  
"OH! Hi mom!"  
  
She frowned. "Cordelia, y'know your daughter - the only person in the world that would greet you with 'mom'." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Sorry. It's just I have a really *pesky* friend who wants to know why you named me what you did...."  
  
"I know! I think he must be doing an essay for college on why people name their kids what they do or something...."  
  
"You can't remember, how can you not remember -"  
  
She paused for quite awhile. Shock on her face.  
  
"Mom, are you *sure*?"  
  
"Does daddy remember it too?"  
  
"Oh. OK. Sorry for calling so early -" She stared at the phone in her hands for a moment.  
  
Cordelia slammed the phone down. "Oh, and how are you darling? How's your life? We love you." She said sourly.  
  
She then turned to the three men looking at her anxiously.  
  
"So?" Wesley prodded.  
  
"So, she said something that made me ditch sticking with you and make me believe Angel's theory."  
  
"What did she say?" Angel asked urgently.  
  
"You want the whole of our really *short* conversation or just the weird bit?"  
  
Angel gave her a look.  
  
"Fine OK. She said when the adoption lady came over with me, she suggested Cordelia, and listed like a zillion things why it was a good name. Now the really freaky part is that the adoption lady who dropped me off at my new home, was called Sandra. Sandra *Artemis*. - This Apollo guy's twin sister... Now, I do believe in coincidences and all, but come on, to say *that* was one, is stretching it a little."  
  
"She *really* said that?"  
  
"Huh - uh, and my dad remembers it too. - Wait a minute, if it was this chick Artemis, well, isn't she supposed to be dead, *and* if Apollo is the father of this Salient One, which you reckon is me, does that mean I'm like half goddess? - Cuz that would be *so* cool!"  
  
"They would be able to come down to earth, Cordy, and if I'm right, and you are the Blessed Salient One, don't think it's so cool. The reason the Salient One is here is to defeat some all-powerful, evil god. So if it is you, well..."  
  
"Hey, you know you said about my visions linking in with the Salient One having prophecies, well, not all my visions are prophecies, and well, Doyle gave me them, didn't he?"  
  
"Doyle always said he was the messenger to give *me* the news on the visions. That was part of my atonement, but what if he was just told that, and he was really a messenger in the sense he was to deliver the visions to you in a way we would think as logical, until you were ready for your powers!"  
  
Cordelia sighed. "I get you. But that isn't very nice for them to do that to Doyle. And The Powers That Be gave him the visions, so.. ugh! This is frustrating!"  
  
"Angel, I would normally insist that we could get to the bottom of this on our own, but well, we must find out all we can about the Salient One to see if it is in fact Cordelia. Therefore, shall I call Giles and inform him of our predicament?" Wesley asked the eldest vampire.  
  
"Yes. In fact, tell him that if they're not to busy with some demon, could we have everyone in Sunnydale researching this. - Anything on Artemis and Apollo and whatever can be related to them in some way. Also, we'll need to find that prophecy I remember. Ask Giles if he's ever read anything similar."  
  
Wesley nodded. "I'll do it in the office." He called over his shoulder as he headed to the elevator.  
  
"Y'know how you said Doyle was given visions from the PTB for your redemption?" Cordelia suddenly asked thoughtfully. " - Well, what if the visions aren't your redemption? I mean, Doyle was the delivery boy," she cringed as she said it, not wanting it to be true, "and the visions were always meant for me. Now, because Doyle was told to go to *you*, he assumed that you were who the visions were for, and the PTB must've said something about you working for redemption. Depending on how it was Doyle got all that info, he could've taken it two ways. The first, that being a 'delivery- boy' was passing on what he saw in the visions to you, helping you work for your redemption. That was the way he thought it was all about, but what if it wasn't?"  
  
Angel just looked at her blankly.  
  
"If it *was* the other way, then Doyle being a 'delivery-boy', his only job was to give me the visions, and the part about you working for redemption, well, since we're talking Greek here, 'Angel' in Greek, from what I remember from Nanny number fifteen, Anna, is Angelos. And I *think* that means messenger, right? So the PTB *might* have meant that your redemption was to be *my* messenger. - Oh, no, a messenger for what? Ugh! - Just forget I said all that!"  
  
"Oh, my God!" Angel gasped. "It makes perfect sense now you have pointed it out! You have two things out of the three! Don't you get it? - Because you are still half mortal, you can't go into see any oracles ever. - But I can! Angelos does mean messenger in Greek, so I'm *your* connection to the oracle in Delos! The visions are your prophecies, the only thing missing is the healing, and we could test that out easily if I just -" He had grabbed a knife off the counter and held it to his arm.  
  
"Angel - no!" Cordelia squealed, and dashed forward to stop him.  
  
Spike got there first and snatched the knife from Angel. "Are you bloody insane? - OW!" He yelled as the knife grazed his the palm of his hand as he seized it from his Sire.  
  
Angel had to grin. "Thanks, Spike. Now I won't have to do it myself."  
  
Spike held his hand out to Cordy. "Do something! Ow! Ow! Ow!"  
  
Cordelia grabbed his hand, and flinched as some blood dripped onto her. "Some big bad vamp you are! And like I'm supposed to know what to do!" She cried out.  
  
"When you turned cold coffee into hot, you said you had *wished* it to happen - well, do it now!" Angel cried at her.  
  
"Fine." She didn't appreciate being shouted at under pressure.  
  
She clasped her hand over Spike's roughly, "ow! Bloody hell!" and made a face as she did so, knowing she had just willing put her hand in blood.  
  
"Eeew! Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!"  
  
"Cordelia!" Spike yelled.  
  
"Would you stop being such a baby! God anyone would think you were ten not one-hundred and whatever!"  
  
"One-hundred and twenty-six. Now would you bloody get on with it!"  
  
"Y'know it's kinda hard to wish you didn't have a cut on your hand while wanting to strangle you!" She bit back heatedly.  
  
"Both of you calm down. Cordelia, concentrate. And Spike, let her concentrate!" Angel yelled to stop the squabbling.  
  
They both turned to him. "And what about you, Broody-boy?" Cordelia shot him an icy glare.  
  
"Yeah! *You* don't seem to be letting her bloody concentrate!" Spike added.  
  
Cordelia pulled her tongue out at him before turning back to Spike. "OK. Here we go."  
  
She sighed and closed her eyes. Concentrating on her breathing.  
  
"Shit." Angel whispered loudly from amazement.  
  
Cordelia's eyes shot open. "What?"  
  
"Your hand was making a white light." Spike told her. "Do more - the Poof interrupted before it could actually do any bloody healing!" He glared at Angel.  
  
"Ugh!" Cordelia grunted, before closing her eyes again and wishing Spike's hand was patched up.  
  
She heard Spike suck his breath in, which she found odd since he didn't need to breathe. So she opened her eyes and looked across at him to see if he was OK, she didn't want to hurt him when she was supposed to be healing him!  
  
Spike noticed her looking at him, and looked directly back at her, she watched as his mouth dropped and sported a purely amazed look.  
  
"Spike? You OK?" She whispered. Hoping, and wishing he truly was. She blinked. "Spike?"  
  
He broke his gaze from her, and looked down at their interlinked hands. He pulled his apart from hers and looked down at it.  
  
Angel and Cordy watched as his eyebrows raised, and he nodded his head. "Cool. You healed me." He showed them his hand. "Angel, did you see her eyes when she looked at me? They were glowing a short of purple color, and it was that moment, when I was looking at her, and she was staring back at me, my hand stopped hurting."  
  
Angel was inspecting his hand. "No, her eyes looked normal to me, but her hand *was* making your hand glow." He told his childe.  
  
He looked over at Cordy. "How did that feel?" He asked moving towards her.  
  
"I feel really weak." She whispered, and slowly lowered herself into a chair. "And dizzy."  
  
Angel placed his cool hand onto her forehead. "Very hot." He muttered to himself. "Um, Cora, if this is what happens all the time when you heal someone, I'm only letting you do it in extreme cases. And -"  
  
"Angel!" Wesley cried as he came running down the stairs. Breathlessly he continued. "Giles knows of the book you spoke of, in fact he's sure he has it in his collection and remembers reading that this evil God would rise through the Hellmouth, but he couldn't remember when..." Wesley slowed down a little. "There's more; Xander. He was patrolling with Buffy and they came across a demon. It burned and badly beat Buffy before she killed it, but Xander not being a slayer got seriously injured, at the moment he's stable, but there's an eighty percent chance he might die. They are not really concentrating on anything but watching over him, in fact I just caught Giles before he was about to return to the hospital."  
  
Angel opened his mouth to speak, but didn't get a chance.  
  
Cordelia shot up, though feeling a little woozy still. "Take me to Sunnydale, Angel." She said urgently.  
  
And although Angel wasn't that keen on Xander and knew that if he was stable, there would be no need to rush to Sunnydale, but he also knew that even though Cordelia wasn't with Xander anymore, he was still a friend and he still had a place in her heart.  
  
The vampire didn't argue with the young woman.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part SEVENTEEN 


	17. Chapter 17

Part 17 –  
  
They were nearly there. Cordy was sitting in the back seat of Angel's car, her head on Spike's lap, which she tried not to be amused about because it was a situation she never had expected.  
  
Wesley was in front on his motorcycle while Angel drove the car. Of course, the top was up because the sun was.  
  
"You feeling better, Cora?" Angel called back to her five minutes from Giles' place.  
  
"Yeah." She said weakly.  
  
"She's not, mate. She's still really weak, and has gone really pale." Spike informed his sire.  
  
Cordelia wacked his arm. "You can talk! *You* haven't seen the sun in *forever*!"  
  
"Cora, I know you really badly want to get to Sunnydale to save Xander, but if you wait at least a day 'til you're a little stronger. And if all that energy was needed to make Spike's cut heal, putting the life back into Harris is gonna take all you have!" Angel told her worriedly only around the corner from Giles'.  
  
"Xander can't afford to wait, Angel." She told him, sitting up. "I can't let him just lie there being so, so un-Xander. So lifeless, so jokeless. I just can't, no matter if I don't even have an ounce of strength, I've got to at least try!"  
  
Angel wanted to argue more. But he knew he'd feel the exact same way if he was able to heal and a friend's, say Cordy's, life depended on him. So he shut up.  
  
When they parked by Giles'. Wesley was already there, standing with the other ex-watcher. They both held blankets, ready to escort the two vampires inside away from the sunlight.  
  
Giles opened Angel's door. "Angel, get under this." He held the blanket over the car door, and Angel stepped out under it.  
  
Then with Giles beside him, making sure the blanket covered the vampire, they jogged to the door.  
  
Wesley followed with Spike, and Cordelia got out of the car to follow.  
  
Her legs shook as she walked, and her head was absolutely pounding and she seriously thought about banging her head on the floor for relief.  
  
"Cordelia!" A familiar voice called. She turned around.  
  
"Oz?" She was extremely surprised. Last time she spoke to Willow to get a spell that Angel needed, she had been 'casually' told that the witch and the werewolf had broken up, and Oz had left town. "I thought you'd -"  
  
"Gone? ... I left Giles with an emergency number in case something came up. And, well, he called and told me about Xand... I *had* to come." He said his last sentence as if to justify something.  
  
"Willow will understand, Oz." Cordelia told him, knowing her red headed friend would undeniably understand Oz's need to be there.  
  
Oz nodded slowly, and came closer to her. "Spike and Angel under the blankets?"  
  
They walked together to the apartment.  
  
"Uh - huh." She said, obviously distracted.  
  
"You OK?" Oz asked, seeing Cordy sway a little, and wondering why she was not doing her usual babbling.  
  
Cordelia stopped, and sunk to her knees. "My head hurts." She admitted quietly.  
  
"Stay here. I'll get Giles." Oz told her not knowing what else he could do.  
  
"Uh - huh." She nodded as he ran away, and then she slowly faded into darkness.  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy could only clench his hand tightly and hope he'd take her strength.  
  
'If I wasn't the slayer, he wouldn't have been there when... oh, God! Why the hell did he have to go patrolling with me! If I lose Xander...' She sniffled, and felt Riely clasped her other hand tightly.  
  
"My fault." She whispered to him.  
  
"Buffy. It's not your fault. Have you looked at yourself, have you seen what that demon did to *you*? Xander took a chance by jumping in to try to help you. And that doesn't make it his fault either. I really think that -"  
  
"Guys." Willow greeted somberly as she entered the room. She sat on the opposite side to the slayer, and clasped Xander's other lifeless hand. "How's he doing?"  
  
"Same as he was when you left ten minutes ago, Will." Riely said quietly.  
  
"I phoned Giles. Wesley, Cordy and Angel turned up. ... As did Oz."  
  
"Who's Oz?" Anya asked as she came into the room.  
  
"Anya, you don't remember *Oz*?" Buffy asked ridiculously.  
  
"Oh, *Oz*. Werewolf guy? Right. Remember him." She nodded and sat down on the end of the bed with the coffee. "Why'd they have to make this stuff so hot, anyways? It'll be half an hour before I can drink it without burning myself."  
  
"Y'know, Anya, you're not being very concerned about your boyfriend who might die here! Do you even *care* for Xander?!" Buffy fumed standing up.  
  
"Jeez, slay-gal, calm down. Of course I care for Xander, but this is always the deal, OK, someone's in trouble or dying or whatever, and you somehow rescue them. No biggie, Xander will be fine." Anya brushed it off.  
  
"Reality check, Anya. There's nothing I can do! There's *no* magical cure for this, because it's not magical. I *can't* go slaying and make this better. Do I need to kick it into you that Xander has more of a chance of dying than coming back to us?! - You don't deserve him! I thought I'd never say this, but Xander was better off with the Bitch of Sunnydale High than he'll ever be with you! At least I know she *really* cared for him! Really *loved* him!" The slayer spat out angrily, nearing the ex-vengeance demon.  
  
"Buffy. Come for a walk with me." Riely steered his girlfriend out of the room as she glared at Anya.  
  
"Die. Willow, he won't die, right? It's always been fixed before -"  
  
"This is different. We *can't* stop this, Anya. The only thing we can do is sit and wait and hope like hell we don't lose him."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Now, you stay with him. I never finished telling Buffy about my conversation with Giles." The flaming haired wicca dashed out the room and raced after the slayer and her boyfriend. "Guys! Wait up!"  
  
"Willow! Will *you* talk Riely into letting me hit her?" Buffy asked urgently.  
  
Willow gave her a look.  
  
"But, Will, he could *die* and she doesn't care! *Cordelia's* showing much more in the way of caring just by coming down from LA with Angel and Wesley!"  
  
"Buffy, Anya not caring is the last of Xander's problems right now. Riely, can you stay here with Xand? - Buffy and I are needed at Giles' urgently, and I don't think Xander should be left with just Anya, she wouldn't even notice if he came around, let alone inform us of any change!"  
  
"Sure, Willow. Take care of her. I'll phone you the second anything happens." Riely assured the girls before heading back to the hospital room they had come out of.  
  
"Why am I needed?" The slayer asked as her friend pulled her arm and steered her towards the exit. "Wills, I don't think I could do the slayer thing at the moment, no matter how much the world is in trouble."  
  
"Well, Cordelia is a situation -"  
  
"Isn't she always?!" Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
"Apparently, Cordy's acquired some powers - healing powers, Giles didn't have time to fill me in on the what, why, where, how stuff, he did say though, she could possibly save Xander. But -"  
  
"Oh there *had* to be a 'but'!" The slayer complained.  
  
"*But*, she doesn't have enough strength to walk at the moment, let alone build up the amount of power that's needed in the healing process. That's where you, Tara and I come in. Giles found a spell that can take some of your slayer power, give it to Cordy, she then can heal Xander, we wait for Cordy to get stronger before taking your strength back so it won't kill her, and boom! We're all back to normal!"  
  
"Normal's good. Even *our* type of normal!"  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part EIGHTEEN 


	18. Chapter 18

1 Part 18 –  
  
When Cordelia opened her eyes, she could hear familiar voices in the next room.  
  
Slowly she sat up, and found she was on a bed, remembering what happened, she reasoned that she was in Giles' bedroom.  
  
She blinked, and for some reason, the room she was in reminded her of a bedroom she once had, it had been spacey like this one, and.. wait, weapons on the wall? She frowned at the memory, thinking she must've hit her head when she fell.  
  
She swung her feet round off the bed and pulled herself to stand.  
  
She still had a terrible headache, but, boy, did she feel... well, she didn't know what it was.  
  
She opened the door slowly, and could hear Spike's recognizable voice.  
  
"I'm telling you the truth, and man, is it bloody weird!"  
  
"You're gonna have to go over it one more time." Cordelia frowned. 'Was that Buffy's voice?'  
  
"I can remember weird stuff. Like, a birthday! Yeah! - There's ten candles on the cake, and it's pink! - Definitely *not* my cake, but I blow it out and cut it! ... Oh, and oh, yuck, I can remember *kissing* Xander - and I *never* kissed Xander!"  
  
"But Cordelia did." That was defiantly Angel. "Maybe because she healed you, you've created a bond, and somehow swapped memories."  
  
Cordelia pushed the door open and came in, things coming out her mouth she just seemed to know. "I remember too. A cat, Trinket, a shorthaired black cat. And I remember a fairground ride.. a carousel, with these beautiful girls with slender necks riding on the..." She scrunched her face up. ".. eew! I *don't* want *that* memory!"  
  
"Hey, you think I like knowing what kissing Harris is like!" Spike shot back. " - And Trinket was such a cute little thing - shame Angleus," he glared at the elder vampire, "didn't think so."  
  
She ignored him, as did everyone else in the room.  
  
"Cordelia, feeling better?" Giles butted in.  
  
"A little, thanks, Giles."  
  
Willow smiled over at her. "Hey, Cordy. Some pretty scary stuff you've been hearing about recently, huh?"  
  
"Ugh! Daughter of a god? Being what Angel reckons as the Salient One? *Don't* remind me."  
  
"Hi, Cordelia."  
  
"Hey, Buffy. How's it hanging?"  
  
"Not well. I put Xander in hospital fighting like hell to stay alive."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm gonna fix that. If there's anyone I'd rather heal," she smiled weakly, "it's that jack-ass." She suddenly winced and a hand went to her head.  
  
Angel quickly made his way over to her. His cool hand on her arm made her jump. "What happened before, Cora?"  
  
"I don't know, I just, I just felt dizzy, and my head hurt... still does. Y'know, that healing thing takes a lot out of you."  
  
"We've found a spell," Willow began, "we, Tara and I, would be able to put Buffy's strength into you, meaning you'll be strong enough to heal Xander. Then, when you're all strong again, we'll reverse it."  
  
"We just need to wait until Tara, Willow's girlfriend, gets here to complete it." Giles added.  
  
"Listen, Cordelia, if you -" Angel began.  
  
"No, Angel." Buffy interrupted, she came up to them and stood in between the vampire and the brunette. "We decided. We can't put this on hold because of your fears for what might happen to Cordelia - we decided, remember? Cordelia won't get hurt the slightest for doing this - she'll have *my* strength!"  
  
"But can't you see!" Angel cried out. "We can't even risk it that way! Cordelia practically lost all her strength on a measly little cut - on a vampire that heals quickly anyway! We're just estimating here that your strength will be enough to heal a person in the state Xander's in. - But what if it's not enough, Buffy? Cordelia can heal because she's supposed to be the Blessed Salient One, - a half mortal, half *goddess*. Think about this; a god would have your strength times a million! What if Cordelia needs to have acquired *all* of her powers and strength to heal properly?! Come on! You know that makes sense!"  
  
"Xander's life is in danger, Angel, we could lose him -" Willow started, coming up behind the slayer.  
  
"And you want to risk losing Cora, too? ... Well maybe she never was a proper friend in any of your eyes, but, she is in mine right now, and as long as I have doubts, this is something I refuse to let her do. She's my family, I can't lose her."  
  
The others where a little shocked to see how much the vampire now cared for the ex-may Queen, they hadn't realized how much had happened between them since they met up with Doyle in LA.  
  
Angel's words meant a lot to Cordy, and silently, without even sharing a glance, she moved forward and clasped his hand.  
  
The ex-librarian sighed, "Angel's right. I completely agree with him. Cordelia, I forbid you to go anywhere near Xander in case you feel like you have to -"  
  
"- Forbid me, Giles?" Cordelia rolled her eyes. "You had no control of me when you were the librarian of the school I was going to, what the hell makes you think you can order me around now we have absolutely *no* connections?!"  
  
"We have connections, we're friends.... Distant friends." Giles stated, but he sounded doubtful seeing the look she was giving him.  
  
"Friends, Giles? Friends are close - how can you be close, but distant? Friends. - You know the definition of that word?" She asked with a cold glare.  
  
"Well, I uh.."  
  
"Tell it to me, Giles."  
  
"A friend is a close companion, one who is warmly attached to another. And - "  
  
Cordelia had that fiery look about her which Angel and Wesley knew very well.  
  
"Two key words. Close. Companion. Y'know, if I hadn't hooked up with Angel in LA, none of you would know, wonder or even care where I was, and don't any of you object that, cuz you know it's the truth... There was one reason why I stayed with the group, and that was Xander, because he cared - at no matter what point our relationship was in, he still cared, even when he tried to hide it, I knew. And I stayed because no one *ever* cared before. Not my parents, not the Cordettes, not you guys... Xander, that big goof- ball did. And if you can't care for me, even *like* me a little, at least I can save the life of who you do care for and love, huh?"  
  
Buffy spoke up quickly. "We care, Cordelia. It's just -"  
  
" - You care for Xander more. I totally get that, Buffy. I care for him more than any of you guys too, no offence. But, that doesn't mean that if it was you in that bed, Buffy, I wouldn't want to take a stab at it. Because I would, and not just to save 'the slayer'... but, someone who... someone who I had hopes for friendship in the future, I guess. The same goes for all of you."  
  
Of course, she wasn't talking to Angel, Wesley or even Spike at this point. They weren't her friends, but her family, she didn't even need to look at them or say a word for them to know she'd heal them in a second no matter what.  
  
"I need to do this - I have to save him, and I don't even need to explain why cuz I know you all care about him as much as I do so the reasons are obvious."  
  
"No, Cordy. Angel's right." Buffy suddenly stated. "We can't let you save Xander - with my strength or not. The risk of losing you is to big. Cordy, you've got to understand that you are someone special now - even more so than the Cordelia we care about, because you can chose to save Xander - and let yourself die in the process - BUT you're not a normal person anymore, Cordy, you owe people a chance at keeping their lives, which will be taken if you die and this evil god rises. You owe the world the right to keep spinning, and no one here is going to like me pointing this out - I hate saying this myself. But, it's Xander or the world here, Cordy. It's your call, but, think about what would Xander want you to do."  
  
Cordelia was openly crying now. "Buffy - when Xander and I were going out, he *was* my world, I can't *not* save him."  
  
"Then save him, and damn the rest of the world - with a healed Xander included." Willow quietly put in. "Xander would want you to do the right thing, Cordy, even if he can't live to see you do it."  
  
"Xander's lying in a hospital bed, no cheeky Xander wit, no mischievous smile - I can get that back, these hands, they can bring him back! Xander really doesn't have a say in this!"  
  
"Cordelia," Oz began quietly, "I know this is hard, and I'm as glad as hell I'm not in your position, but Buffy's right, listen to her - what she's saying makes sense - if you save Harris, and die yourself, the world is doomed, Xander too - so if you save him, he'll die eventually anyway, but if you don't you are letting him die with some dignity at least."  
  
Tears poured down everyone's faces as they watched the cheerleader sob openly. "Xander always wanted to be the hero for a change, if I chose not to heal him, and get rid of this evil god, it'll be because of him... he'd like that. People say the best way to die is quietly in your sleep, but I think that the best way to go is being a hero, dying in battle for whatever cause... and hey, if Xander wants to go as a hero like Doyle, I'm gonna let him go with an applause."  
  
Buffy took the sobbing ex-may queen into her arms as she began to cry too. "Good choice, Cordy. Xander might just pull through on his own to thank you for at least trying to make him a hero."  
  
"God, I hope so." Cordelia choked out.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part NINETEEN 


	19. Chapter 19

1 Part 19 –  
  
The slayer quietly walked up to the seer, and sat next to her.  
  
They were outside Giles', sitting in a little courtyard.  
  
"I wasn't sure how to bring it up before... I guess I could hear Giles' repeating himself - 'I forbid you to go anywhere near Xander in case you feel the need to..'" She mimicked the other girls watcher.  
  
Buffy leaned forward. "Go on."  
  
"I need to see him... - Not to heal him or anything, but, just in case he doesn't pull through on his own, I need to tell him something, something he should know..."  
  
"Is it something *I* know?" The slayer asked, thinking about what Cordy had said to her about Xander once.  
  
"Yeah, - 'cept it's past tense now though... but, I figure, it's better saying it in past tense than not saying it at all, right?"  
  
Buffy stood up, and ignored her question. "Stay here, Cordy. I'll explain to the others then I'll come with you to the hospital."  
  
Buffy began to walk away, but Cordelia called her back. "Buffy?"  
  
The slayer raised an eyebrow. "Xander's loved right?"  
  
Buffy walked back to her. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, if he wasn't ever in love with me like I was with him, you think he *has* loved someone in that way right? ... I wouldn't like him to die without ever being in love with somebody, whether the love was returned or not."  
  
Buffy thought of Anya, but couldn't say whether her friend was in love with her, she looked at Cordelia's big hopeful eyes, and Buffy remembered how Xander had looked around her... but, she couldn't say if he had loved her either. "I hope so, Cordy. And I'm sure he has." She patted the girls arm, and headed back inside.  
  
~*~  
  
"He's in there, huh?" Cordelia asked the slayer, they were stood in the hospital, outside a door Buffy had lead them too.  
  
"Um, Riely and Anya should still be in there - do you want me to go in and clear them out so you can have a private moment with Xander alone?"  
  
Cordelia sadly shook her head. "To be honest, Buffy, I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to be alone with him... emotions would get on top of me and I wouldn't be thinking straight, and well, Gile's could then say 'I told you so' about not letting me see him cuz I'd feel I'd had to heal him."  
  
Buffy nodded, "I'll stay with you then," she reached forward and opened the door. "After you."  
  
Cordelia sighed, and took a few tentative steps forward into Xander's room.  
  
Inside she found Anya, sitting on a chair beside Xander's bed looking at the lifeless body intensely and she didn't even notice Cordy come in.  
  
There was a tall kinda cute guy standing by the small window in the room, he turned to her as she walked in. "Um, I think you have the wrong room -" The guy who she could only assume was Buffy's boyfriend, Riely, began.  
  
"Riely, this is Cordelia." Buffy quickly told him as she came in after the brunette and closed the door.  
  
Anya's head shot up, and she nearly fell over as she made her way to Cordelia, she gave Buffy an evil stare on the way.  
  
Riely smiled, and Cordelia was very surprised as he came forward and hugged her. "So you're the one who's gonna save Xander. I'm not exactly close to him, but I miss his cheekiness!"  
  
"How did you -" Buffy started.  
  
"- After you and Willow left before, I called Giles', and spoke to Spike, he reckoned Cordelia was going to make Xander better with your strength, and -"  
  
Anya copied Riely's actions and hugged Cordelia, she still looked at the slayer. "I *told* you things like this always fix themselves - god, Buffy you really gotta stop getting in a huff so easily, everything always works out in the end!"  
  
When she let go of Cordelia, the ex-may queen saw him. Just as she had imagined. No smile. No bright eyes. No jokes. No nothing.  
  
Cordelia barely heard Buffy as she fixed her gaze on Xander.  
  
"Guys, god, I didn't think I would have to explain this to you cuz I thought you wouldn't know about Cordelia and her healing powers... But, she can't heal him. Well, she could, but if she did, she'd most likely die in the process, and well, she needs to be here to have a shot at distroying this maniac god and save the world from doom. She had a choice of saving the world from distruction and saving Xander... she chose what Xander would've wanted her too."  
  
Riely nodded, and took Buffy who had tears falling from her eyes into his arms.  
  
Anya wasn't as accepting as Riely, and glared at Cordelia's back as she walked slowly towards the stilled Xander on the bed.  
  
She grabbed Cordelia's arm and yanked her back before either Buffy or Riely could see what was going on.  
  
"If you aren't here to save him - then you're not welcome!!" The ex- vengeance demon spat out.  
  
Buffy pulled Anya away from Cordy. "Stop being such a bitch, Anya -"  
  
"Yeah," Cordelia suddenly spoke up, "that's my job. And whether you fucking like it or not, I'm here to see Xander! And since he's the future hero here, I'd like to congratulate him in advance without you sticking your pathetic little ore in and making trouble that we just don't need right now!!"  
  
As Cordelia spoke in her old manner, Buffy actually realised how much she'd missed her. "Anya, I think you'd better go wait outside." The slayer hissed in the girls ear.  
  
"And leave that fucking whore with my boyfriend - not as long as I'm still breathing! She has no right to barge in here and demand to see him - she's the reason he's gonna die!" Anya cried out as she struggled against Buffy who was trying to keep her from lunging at Cordelia.  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "You want a cat fight, Anya? - Then bring it on, I'd beat the crap out of you even in the state I'm in, because I just really want to see Xander at this point!" And Cordy the bitch was back - her icy tone shot at Anya still struggling to break from Buffy's hold. "And being a whore is much more your style from what I can see your wearing. Poor Xander being stuck with you, anything else couldn't beat that to the top of the 'poor-loser-guy-stuck-in-a-hospital-bed-with-just-a-little-hope- of-returning' list!" Cordelia laughed while shaking her head. "If I were you, Anya, I'd get the fuck out of here before I really get going."  
  
"I'm not leaving a fucking bitch like you with *my* -"  
  
"Boyfriend? - Yeah, I know, he's your boyfriend Anya, you've said about a million times. And now you're just trying to piss me off some more, but, go ahead, if you make me more angry, you might just get lucky enough for me to hit you, and with a little more luck, I might just get my goddess powers as I hit you. That'll put the wind up you, huh?" She fixed Anya with a glare. "Wanna give it a try?"  
  
Anya just glared at the ex-May Queen, but seemed to let Buffy and Riely steer her out.  
  
Cordy fumed. And Buffy shut the door and turned to face the brunette.  
  
She sighed deeply, and the slayer felt sympathetic as tears rolled down Cordelia's face.  
  
"I'm not her anymore, Buffy. I'm not the Bitch of Sunnydale high, I've changed... but she just keeps coming back, and I can't stop her."  
  
"Don't fight her. She's apart of you, ... apart of you Xander loved, Cordy. She might not be as nice as who you've become, or as kind and sweet, but she's the Cordy who we became friends with. Yeah, you've changed for the better, but the Bitch will always be there to make you Cordelia Chase."  
  
Cordelia smiled back at the Slayer. For once they weren't mad at each other or filled with hate. They were friends. "Thanks, Buffy. You know, right now, I can't see why I disliked you so much sometimes... I mean, sometimes I liked you, but right now, right here, I don't just *not* dislike you..." She gave the other girl a weak smile, "I actually like you."  
  
Buffy had to grin as she came forward and hugged the other girl. "I like you too, Cordy." Then she pulled away. "Listen, I know that I said I'd stay with you, but, in all honestly, if some guy I once loved was lying in a hospital bed and might die and I had this one chance to tell him I loved him, I wouldn't exactly want an audience... I'll be waiting outside." She stepped back from Cordy, then, pausing she added; "I don't wanna have to say this, especially not now, but ... no healing, Cordy, OK?" She asked as she walked backwards to the door, keeping her eyes on the brunette.  
  
Cordelia let a tear escape, as she nodded. "No healing."  
  
The slayer gave her friend a sad smile as she stepped out of the room, leaving the door open just a little. Just in case. Not that she didn't trust Cordelia - well, OK, she didn't, not in this situation.  
  
Cordy sighed, and she turned back to the bed, and made her way to the seat placed next to it.  
  
She sat down, and took the lifeless hand in her own before pulling up her gaze to meet Xander's face.  
  
"Xander? ... If you can here me, you have to know that this is killing me. I have to save the world, but what kind of world is it gonna be if you don't pull up those fists and fight to be in it? God, ... I really don't want this to be goodbye, Xander. And if you can just hold on - just 'til I *can* save you... please do it."  
  
She choked up. "I don't wanna lose you. You're so special to me - and to everyone." She squeezed his hand tighter. "I missed you since I left, you're like, the only thing I *really* really missed."  
  
She got off the chair and perched onto the bed, and leant down so her head was just above his. She kissed his forehead, "Xander, you better not tell anyone this, but, ... I loved you. Well, I always *will* love you. I can't not love my first love."  
  
She grinned to herself as she pulled away from his face. "There's *one* thing I will regret about us, though. That we never made love - because I know, with you, it would have been for love, not sex." She smiled sadly, "I'm not a virgin, but I don't think it'd be right to say that I've ever made love." She sat back into the chair, yet her hand still clasped his firmly, "and Xander? I forgive you... I did a long time ago, but I never heard from you to tell you... OK, so it's not like I kept in touch either, but I had serious career plans going on!"  
  
She smiled as she kissed his hand, a few tears escaped, "keep fighting for me, OK?"  
  
Then she just sat there, silently looking at the guy she once was in love with, and who still took up a place in her heart.  
  
~*~  
  
Go on to part TWENTY 


End file.
